


If I made a voyage to my insides

by OpalTheFluffmaker



Category: LittleBigPlanet
Genre: Anxiety, Chatting & Messaging, Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I think...maybe???, M/M, Memories, Newton's trying his best to become a better person, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Redemption, Sackboy doesn't talk, Self-Worth Issues, Slow Burn, Well hopefully, and also very minor Larry/Victoria, not eating mention, not that bad I would think but still if you're uncomfortable with stuff like that be careful, very minor Eve/Clive/Avalon in the background
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 88,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalTheFluffmaker/pseuds/OpalTheFluffmaker
Summary: Newton transports himself to Craftworld on his own, hoping to earn Sackboy’s forgiveness as well as seek a temporary escape from his troubles back at home. How will they cope when things begin to escalate—in more ways than one?
Relationships: Newton Pud/Sackboy
Comments: 144
Kudos: 68





	1. Prologue - secret project

**Author's Note:**

> Hoooooboy
> 
> I'm...kinda freaking out about this
> 
> I've never posted a multi-chapter fic before...actually it's been a long time since I even made a multi-chapter fic
> 
> I just really wanted to write a Sackton fic with slow-burn and stuff
> 
> Super sorry if this turns to shit, I just wanted to create something I felt good about and will hopefully make others feel something too

Newton did not leave the manor much nowadays. In fact, he hardly even left his room.

It was rather unusual behavior for him, really. Most of the time he’d be out and about, telling everyone who would listen (sometimes the standard wasn’t even _that_ high) about all the incredible things he would plan to create and accomplish. If not that, he would certainly be getting himself involved in some dangerous stunt, which his father would have to intervene and pull him out of. And if he wasn’t up to that either, he would be simply enjoying the warm and cheerful scenery Needlepoint Peaks had to offer.

But these days, Newton could not be found doing any of this.

It had been four months since the Titans incident, four months since he’d nearly brought Bunkum to ruin whilst planning to bring the rest of the Imagisphere to follow suit. When he thought about this, he had difficulty in believing so much time had already gone by. If one were to look into the current situation as well as his mental state, one might have believed it was only yesterday.

The damaged areas of Bunkum were slowly but surely repaired over the past four months, and at this point in time it was almost as beautiful and bright as it had once been. However, most of the world’s citizens had not forgiven him, albeit for perfectly understandable reasons. The levels and displays of hostility varied, some carrying on as if he wasn’t there, others fronting him with passive-aggression, and a few acting outright violent in his presence—mainly Pinky, though she always seemed to have the tendency to be violent no matter the scenario. Though a select few residents had forgiven him—Marlon and Papal in particular appeared to be the most understanding, or at least they were trying to be—but even they had a look of fear or disappointment in their eyes they couldn’t hide, an expression Newton couldn’t bear to look at even though he knew well he deserved it.

With those circumstances, it was no wonder he didn’t go out into the world nearly as much as before. It wasn’t like he could wander off too far anyway, his parents forbidding him from going out beyond the Peaks. Along with hopefully teaching him a lesson, they knew he’d endanger himself going near the still hostile public right now, especially in an area where they couldn’t easily protect him. They put up a strict front when they told him, but at the end of the day everything they were doing was for his own good.

Between the punishment and the people, there was already enough reason for Newton to have isolated himself so much—but unbeknownst to anyone, there was one more.

For several weeks, he’d been hard at work building a new invention. A device that would transport him across the Imagisphere and send him to Craftworld. Despite his lack of confidence and how complex it sounded, he figured it wouldn’t be too tricky creating something like that if he created something that could perform the opposite task before.

_Granted, this would be far easier if Papa didn’t dismantle that,_ Newton had thought to himself when he was just getting started. _It’s not my wonderful inventions’ fault if I used them wrong..._

A common thought that seemed to plague his mind more and more recently was the thought of escape, running away to a place where no one knew of his name, face or past actions. The idea of being able to seek solace somewhere else felt quite appealing to him, and with all he had heard about how amazing Craftworld was, he decided that would be as good a place as any.

_If_ **_he_ ** _came from that world, it must be truly something..._

...and that was the other thought that lingered in his head more frequently. The one who had saved him and Bunkum from himself, who bothered to rescue him from the Titans’ clutches, who seemed to hold no ill will towards him afterwards—though it was a short amount of time, so it was admittedly hard to tell.

It was true, Newton had been watching Sackboy from his airship for quite a long time even before he’d brought him to Bunkum. When he watched the journey to stop the Negativatron he was engrossed in every passing second of the spectacle, to the point where he might have forgotten to eat and sleep if his mother didn’t come up to nag him about it. By the end of it he felt a deep admiration for the hero, and was positively ecstatic when he prepared to meet with him for the first time—though it had been clouded by his selfish dreams and desires to pull off an extremely dangerous and misguided plot to somehow harvest the Titans’ power.

When he thought of Sackboy now, the deep admiration was still there, but it was accompanied by the aching pangs of guilt. All of the trouble he put him through—manipulating him, siccing the Titans on him, holding him hostage—and the silent one still saved him from certain doom and waved goodbye to him with a smile.

It was far, far more than he deserved.

_But maybe,_ he thought as he continued his work, _just maybe, if I can get to Craftworld I can track him down again and try to redeem myself! Really earn his forgiveness!_

Motivation renewed, he kept working throughout the night, careful not to wake his parents up with the procedures.


	2. Sweet dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton has a nightmare about how things could have went down. Meanwhile, Sackboy eats sweets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot begins to kick off
> 
> I'm still super nervous about this but I'll try my best

“Thank you so much again for your help, Sackboy,” Victoria sighed, setting down the last of the cream swirls onto its place. “Sorry to be a lot of trouble, I’ve just been so worried about everything going wrong again...”

Sackboy turned to face her after putting his grabinators away, giving a kind smile and waving his hand downward—his way of saying it wasn’t any trouble and he was happy to help. Victoria smiled back in return.

“I baked you some pastries to thank you, would you like to come eat them?” she asked.

Sackboy nodded, grinning excitedly. He had always loved sweets, and Victoria’s creations were by far the most delicious ones he’d ever tasted.

The baketress gestured for him to follow her as she headed off to her laboratory, and he promptly did so, brushing off some sugary debris that found its way to his apron. He always liked to dress according to where he was going—with so many costumes he had in his inventory, how could he ever choose just one to wear in a day? And so he would normally wear the cog princess dress or something else simple yet graceful whenever he visited Victoria, as it made him truly feel like a baker’s assistant. (Sackboy’s delivery service, anyone?)

After entering the laboratory, the two of them sat at an elegantly-crafted table, where an array of oversized millefeuilles, sponge cakes, macaroons and the like waited for them. As per usual Victoria had outdone herself. Sackboy knew he wouldn’t be able to eat them all but that was okay—it would give him something to look forward to tomorrow.

“Would you believe that Larry’s been trying more of my sweets as of late?” Victoria asked. “I’d never known him to have such a liking for them before, did you?”

The silent one shook his head as he began to work on a sponge cake, taking in its soft texture as he gave her words some thought. True, Larry wasn’t exactly known for having a sweet tooth, but even so the idea of him going over for Victoria’s pastries wasn’t surprising in the slightest.

_Everyone can see it!...except Victoria, anyway._

“I can’t help but wonder what’s going on with him,” the baketress mused, breaking off a piece of a scone. “Maybe he’s just taking pity on me. He knows my creations always end in disaster, and he’s just sampling them to make me feel better.”

Sackboy only stared at her with a confused look. Being oblivious to love was one thing, but that interpretation was clearly a stretch. He slowly shook his head after a moment, still in disbelief.

“Hm? Is that wrong?” Victoria leaned in a little, seeming as if she were intently observing the stitched one’s expression. “Would _you_ happen to know what he’s up to?”

Sackboy nodded, then moved his hand around in a manner resembling drawing, indicating what he needed in order to tell her. Fully understanding, she quickly found and gave him the necessary supplies, with which he drew up a rough sketch of her and Larry surrounded by a barrage of hearts. When he handed the drawing to her, she gave a hearty chuckle in response.

“You must be joking!” she giggled, putting a mechanical hand to her mouth. “Larry Da Vinci, taking a fancy to me? Why, that’ll be the day when Avalon says something humble!”

Sackboy rested his head on his hand, slightly disgruntled. _He’s not even being subtle about it! Does everyone have a blind spot for their crushes or something???_

“But I suppose you can never know for sure,” said Victoria, apparently noticing her quiet friend’s frustration. “Perhaps you know more about these things than I do. After all, there’s a lot about you none of us know about even now...”

Sackboy shrugged, then went back to eating the sponge cake as he pensively looked around. In truth, he probably knew even less about romance than Victoria, or anyone else for that matter. He didn’t think he knew anyone he could call a best friend, much less anyone he’d consider a relationship with. Of course he had many friends in different places, as always exploring the world and offering help to everyone you meet will tend to get you, but while there were some he was closer to more than others, he had never felt _that_ close with anyone before.

There _was_ someone he met who he thought he could have made a deeper connection with, but—

**_“Such a shame our friendship had to end this way...”_ **

“Sackthing? Are you feeling unwell?” Victoria interrupted his thoughts, her soft voice laced with concern.

Sackboy looked up, a bit startled at first, then gave a small smile and thumbs-up, trying to indicate that everything was fine. _Because it is...isn’t it?_

“Hmm...” Victoria looked him over thoughtfully, and he could tell she was trying to interpret him. Then she went over and gave his shoulder a light pat. “It’s true that we don’t know much about you, and it’s not very easy for you to explain...but you should know that we’ll all be by your side.”

Sackboy tilted his head a bit, uncertain of what she was trying to say. _Did my face really give that much away...?_

“You may not quite believe it yet, but it’s true,” Victoria went on. “Me, Larry, Clive...everyone in the Alliance is here for you. I know we’ve all been busier lately, but if there’s anything you need of us, I can assure you we’ll make time for you right away!” She smiled kindly at him, a smile that helped him feel more relaxed. “It’s the least we can do for a dear friend, especially one who played a big part in saving the world.”

Sackboy considered her words for a second, then returned the smile, looking a bit cheerier this time around.

Maybe he didn’t have that type of connection with anyone, and maybe he’d never find one—but that was okay. He could still be happy and comforted in the company of his friends.

And it’s not like that sort of connection was high on his list of priorities anyway.

————

It was finally finished.

It took him countless all-nighters, scavenging for parts and nearly turning his room upside-down to find the old blueprints to work off of, but at long last it was complete.

Newton grinned triumphantly at his latest creation. _With this, I can go and see Craftworld for myself, discover firsthand what all the fuss is about! I can get away from the usual crowds and maybe..._

_...maybe...I can see him again..._

In the midst of his thoughts, his entire body began to complain at him, and he let out a huff in response. The all-nighters and hard work caught up with him, and his aching limbs and cloudy mind made it clear to him that he wouldn’t be going anywhere without at least resting his eyes for a while.

Reluctantly, the inventor laid down on his bed, though not before hurriedly shoving the device into his closet and closing it off. The last thing he needed was either of his parents finding it and confronting him about what he might have been plotting next.

Almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, Newton shut his eyes and drifted away...

. . . . . . . .

**_“I’m afraid this is the end of the line, dear friend.”_ **

_Newton found himself standing in front of Sackboy, who stared back at him wide-eyed with fear and resignation as he moved back closer to the edge. He felt so strange in his own body, when he tried to move he couldn’t budge, when he tried to speak no sound came out, but suddenly he began to do things on his own._

_He began to do things he couldn’t control._

_“What in Bunkum are you doing?!” he screamed inside of his head as he helplessly watched his hands pull out the pumpinator._

_Instead, as the pumpinator was aimed at Sackboy, he heard his voice continue,_ **_“It’s unfortunate, but I cannot allow any obstacles in my way. If only you hadn’t been so persistent...”_ **

_He tried to throw the pumpinator off to the side, tried to run away in the opposite direction, tried to do something—anything—to stop himself. To no avail._

**_“I’ll admit, it was fun toying with you and letting you think you won,”_ ** _he heard himself cackle,_ **_“but playtime is over, and it’s time for me to get down to business. Surely, you understand...even you’re smart enough to see that, aren’t you?”_ **

_Newton continued to uselessly struggle with himself. “N-No, stop! Get AWAY from him!”_

**_“Switch it to blow, and...!”_ **

_“Stop this at once, you—YOU—!!!!”_

_Against his will, his fingers pushed on the trigger, and he caught a glimpse of Sackboy’s face before he fell off. The knitted creator could never say what he felt—at least not to his knowledge, but the expression he had at that moment had a message clear as the moon on a cloudless night:_

_“We were friends before—where did we go wrong?”_

_Newton wanted to run towards the edge. He wanted to grab Sackboy’s hand and pull him away from the danger, cling to him and apologize profusely for everything he had done, but even if he was in control, it was already too late._

_Sackboy fell into the plasma below, and in an instant he was never to be seen again._

_Finally, Newton had control again, but it was pointless now. With no idea what to do and no emotional stability left, he collapsed onto his knees and shut down._

_. . . . . . . ._

“Newty, come on! It’s time to get up!”

The familiar voice brought Newton out of his nightmare, but though he was awake he remained unfocused on reality. An overload of sensations practically attacked him all at once—stiff yet shivering, a stinging sensation in his eyes, difficulty getting a breath in and out.

He was just so scared and upset, it rendered him unable to think of anything else.

“Now, Newty,” he heard his mother’s voice chide him gently. “You can’t remain holed up in here for days on end just because we want you to stay close for a while. It’s just not healthy, going on like that.”

Newton did his best to get a hold of himself, at least long enough to look her in the eye apologetically—though he looked as distraught as he felt more than anything else.

“I’m...I’m sorry, Mumsy...”

Nana Pud sighed as she sat by him on the bed, wrapping him up in her arms. “What’s the matter? Did you have another nightmare?”

The lightbulb-head gave a weak nod, eyes burning more painfully as he buried his face in her shoulder. “I...h-hurt so...so m-ma-any people...I-...” His voice cracked a bit under his immense distress. “I-I’m such...s-such a horri—horrible person...”

“Shush,” his mother whispered, oven-mitt hands rubbing across his back in an attempt to sooth him. “You know that wasn’t you. Your father and I know that wasn’t you. Perhaps the others don’t understand yet, but in due time they’ll process things and come around.”

“S-Still,” Newton babbled, voice muffled by him hiding himself. “I-It’s s-still all m-my fault...I was so stupid—I-I really thought I could t-take something evil a-and make it work for us—ME, of all people—“

Nana Pud hugged him tighter. “You are not stupid, Newty. You just...tend to leap before you look most of the time. You’ve made a terrible mistake, but your heart was in the right place and you weren’t thinking clearly. We’re going to get this worked out, believe you me—“ She pulled out of the hug, keeping her hands on his shoulders so he’d keep making eye contact with her. “The repairs for Bunkum are almost done, and then we can focus on resolving things. I know we’ve acted harshly towards you, Newty, but you must understand that this is for your own good.”

Newton simply nodded, completely silent now. His body was no longer trembling, but he still felt tense and his eyes still burned. Despite that he knew that his fright and remorse were now at manageable levels, which he supposed was as good a progress to make as any.

Nana Pud got up from the bed and made her way towards the door. “I’ve got to get back downstairs now, but you’re welcome to join me anytime. Please, at least come down for dinner tonight, okay?”

“A-...A-All right, M-Mumsy...”

His mother looked back at him with a warm smile before heading out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Newton remained sitting on the bed, body frozen stiff, until he no longer felt his eyes stinging. Then finally, after what felt like the longest moment, he stood up on wobbly legs.

The urge to activate his new invention was overwhelming him now.

So without further ado, after making sure no one was around to see him go, he opened the closet door, punched the coordinates into the machine, stepped through the doorway to the chamber...

...and he was sent flying at full speed across the Wonderplane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never wrote for Victoria before so I hope I got her character right ;;>o>;;
> 
> And I hope this chapter is enjoyable for you ^__^;;


	3. You again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton pesters Clive about Sackboy's whereabouts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm updating too quickly
> 
> I've got like one more chapter after this that's completely written and then after that I gotta continue writing stuff out
> 
> So after whenever chapter four comes out the updates will probably get slower
> 
> But I just want to make sure this story feels right

_“AAAAAUUUGGHHHHHHH—!!”_

Newton’s screams echoed across the space he traveled. He reached around himself, desperate for something to hold onto, but to no avail. Once he decided these efforts were pointless, he continued screaming and flailing his arms around in a panic.

It may not be obvious, but this method of transport wasn’t really Newton’s cup of tea.

Eventually though, it all stopped. The chamber crash-landed in the middle of an empty field, and Newton stumbled out of it, feeling as if his brain and stomach had jumped around and switched places.

_Again, not really the best thing for safety,_ he thought, and after he came to his senses he examined the chamber, relieved to see that it hadn’t taken any damage. He went the extra mile to make sure it wouldn’t break easily—after all, it would be catastrophic if he had no way back home.

The lightbulb-head then decided to have a look at his surroundings, attempting to get an idea of where exactly he was. He knew for certain that he was in Craftworld, but he wanted to develop a sense of direction so it would be easier for him to navigate through this unfamiliar territory. But as he wandered around the area, he realized he had come to recognize it from somewhere in his memories...

_Hmm, where could I have seen this...? Oh, wait a moment!!_

It was the bridge that tipped him off. This was the location where he found and abducted Sackboy. And just like that, his motivation lit up within him again.

“That shall be my first course of action!” he announced to absolutely nobody. “I’ll find my old chum and make peace with him once and for all!”

With that he hurried away, unsure of where he was going but confident that he’d eventually find a good place to start his search.

————

“Hello! Is anyone in here?”

The sudden shout from near the entrance startled Clive, distracting him from what he had been doing. Granted, he hadn’t really been up to much recently, as business in the factory had been rather slow, but he kept himself occupied the best that he could. Today he wanted to work on the sackbots’ maintenance, and he was hoping he could make an upgrade to their durability, to protect them from future exposure to electricity. But now apparently someone had come to visit—someone whose voice he could not recognize at all.

Clive hurried over to the factory’s entrance, mentally preparing himself in case it was an intruder with malicious intentions. When he laid eyes on the visitor, however, he didn’t quite know what to make of him.

A strange man with a lightbulb for a head and glowing facial features, clothed in a fluffy purple longcoat and an egg timer that served as some sort of bowler hat, stood before him looking around the foyer with a curious look on his face. The lightbulb-man then noticed him and offer him a friendly smile.

“Ah! Hello there, old chap,” he greeted him cheerfully. “My name’s Newton! I’m new here, you see.”

“Oh…hello,” Clive replied, voice as gloomy and halfhearted as ever. “Name’s Clive Handforth. Welcome to the Factory of a Better Tomorrow.”  
  
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant,” said the lightbulb that called himself Newton. “I mean, I suppose by extension I’m new here too, but this is actually my first time coming to Craftworld at all!”

Clive looked silently at him for a bit, still unsure of what to make of him. “…oh, is that so? Well, that’s great.”

“Indeed it is!” Newton beamed, seemingly oblivious to Clive’s complete lack of enthusiasm. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know a little sackperson around here somewhere, would you?”

“Sure I do. The planet’s full of sackpeople.”

“Yes, well, I’m looking for this one in particular,” Newton explained. “He worked with you to defeat the Negativatron, am I right?”  
  
Clive perked up a little. “Oh! That’s Sackboy. The one person I know I can rely on…wait.”

Newton tilted his head to the side. “Huh? What’s the problem?”  
  
“What do you want Sackboy for?” Clive asked, raising a sketched eyebrow. It was true that they were going through a peaceful period currently, but one could never be too careful, especially not as a member of the Alliance.

“Why, he’s an old friend of mine,” Newton answered, and he glanced up at the ceiling as if he were reminiscing. “My dearest friend, in fact. I just wanted to come see him again and catch up with him about things.”

“He never mentioned you,” said Clive, feeling less suspicious but still somewhat wary of the stranger. “Not that he can mention anything, really. I think he _did_ go to another world for a few days, though…”

“You mean Bunkum!” the lightbulb-head piped up, jumping a bit in excitement. “Yes, I invited him there. We saved the world together and became the best of friends!”  
  
“Huh…strange that he wouldn’t tell us about his best friend from another planet.” The calendar-head grew skeptical again, but he chalked it up to his usual cynicism. “But all right. I haven’t seen him today.”

The glow from Newton’s head faltered a bit as his face fell into a look of disappointment. _Now that’s a familiar expression,_ Clive thought to himself.

“Oh…well…would you know where he normally goes off to? I really do need to see him again, you know.”

Clive shrugged his shoulders. “S’far as I know, Sackboy goes on his own time. Doesn’t have a real schedule—he just goes where he feels he should be, often surprises us when he drops by. He visits a lot though, so if you wait for a while you should see him soon—“

“Oh, no no no! That’s quite all right.” Newton put on a nervous grin and held his hands up. “When I find him, I really do need to talk with him in private, and I wouldn’t want to cut into any time with his other friends!” He started to make his way back towards the doorway. “So I’ll just look around for him on my own for a bit.”  
  
“If you say so.”

The lightbulb man left almost as quickly as he arrived, and Clive still didn’t have a clear idea as to what his deal was. He did have a rather odd demeanor to him, but he seemed relatively harmless…for the most part, anyway.

Still, Clive made a mental note to mention this encounter to the Alliance next meeting.

Not too long after that, he heard a soft knock on the door and went to see who was visiting now. As comedic fate would have it, Sackboy had come over soon after the man searching for him had left. He waved a friendly greeting to Clive, dressed up in his sack-in-a-clock jacket and trousers, as well as his Cordlass glasses which Clive assumed he’d always wear to the factory to fit in with the sackbots. Not that he could blame him, really—the sackbots were cute little things.

“Oh, hello Sackboy,” the calendar-head welcomed him. “I was wondering when you’d show up again.”

The smaller creator simply smiled at him, and from that he could only discern that he had nothing in particular to say, but that he was happy to see him too. _Now that’s an expression I don’t see all that often._

“You’ve got good timing,” he said. “I was just about to bring out the sackbots for maintenance. I know you get along well with all of them.”

Sackboy’s face lit up with excitement as he followed Clive deeper into the factory, and as they walked the older creator allowed himself to smile. Visits from Sackboy would always lift his spirits—even if only slightly—as it seemed that the knitted one would always bright up the usually cold and dark building. And oddly enough he looked happy whenever he explored there—he could probably find the beauty in any type of area, no matter how dreadful or desolate.

In the midst of his thoughts, the encounter popped up in Clive’s mind again.

“Oh, I should probably tell you something.”

Sackboy looked up at Clive, a questioning look in his button eyes.

“You don’t know a fellow named Newton, do you?”

He noticed Sackboy tense up a little, looking down at the ground as if he were consulting it on what to do before looking back up and nodding cautiously.

“A man with a lightbulb for a head came by,” Clive elaborated, trying to interpret the silent one’s facial expression. “Said he was new to Craftworld and that he was looking for you. Ring any bells?”  
  
Sackboy only responded with another small nod before he looked back down at the floor. Something about this didn’t sit right with Clive—this Newton person claimed he was Sackboy’s best friend, and yet when he mentioned him the light disappeared from his eyes. A strong possibility that the lightbulb man had lied to him already existed, but now there was evidence stacking up on the idea.

“Do you want to tell the rest of the Alliance?” he asked. “To warn them in case anyone sees him? I mean, if we somehow survived the Negativatron, we can probably handle this guy…”

Strangely enough, Sackboy shook his head vigorously, holding his hands up as if asking the calendar-head to back down. It was hardly ever easy for him to understand the quiet hero’s messages, but he was certain he figured it out this time.

“Right…I see.” With that, Clive kept walking forward, Sackboy hurrying down the hall after him.

————

About a couple hours had passed by the time Sackboy left the factory. He had hoped visiting Clive and the sackbots would provide a decent distraction from the memories of Newton. He hadn’t expected doing so to make them continue flooding back.

The thought of seeing Newton again clogged his mind for the rest of the time they hung out, even when the sackbots finally came out to play. It gave him a strange, cold feeling in his chest, and a slight weight on his shoulders, as if he was missing a piece of himself and yet had another piece he needed to let go of. The unfamiliar, uncomfortable emotion coupled with the thoughts and memories kept distracting him from whatever he was trying to focus on…

And yet he wanted to delve deeper into those thoughts—to discover where they came from? To figure out how to cope with them? To find a way to get rid of them? The reason was anyone’s guess.

Sackboy didn’t hate Newton. Not really. He knew well that the majority of his actions back in Bunkum were not his own, and that he wasn’t truly evil or dangerous, only impulsive and misguided. He knew he meant no harm, even though he couldn’t understand why he thought releasing monstrous forces from their trap would ever be a good idea.

He knew that Newton wasn’t a villain, and that he was doing his best to get better—at least, from the looks of the Pud family before he left.

So why did something inside of him still hurt so badly when he remembered him?

Sackboy shook his head in an attempt to bring himself back to reality. It wasn’t growing dark just yet, but he still wanted to get back home as soon as possible. He removed the Cordlass glasses and placed them back in his Popit before he continued moving.

As he started walking again, he thought he could hear the sounds of footsteps behind him. Thinking it was just another memory playing in the back of his head, he kept moving, trying not to pay the noise any mind. But he still heard the sound go on, no matter how much concentration he put into the path ahead.

Not a moment later, a voice rang out behind him, drowning out the footsteps and interrupting his train of thought.

“Ah—hold on a minute, dear chum!”

_…no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I got Clive's character right but I had fun writing his dialogue
> 
> Also Sackboy is a master of quick change I don't make the rules


	4. Water under the bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton and Sackboy finally find each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmghhhh
> 
> This is the last chapter I've got written in its entirety so updates will probably be slow for a while
> 
> I really hope you all like this so far

The sound of that voice, jovial and yet urgent, froze Sackboy right in his tracks.

It was just difficult for him to believe. Even after Clive told him about it, it was still a difficult idea to process.

_How is he here? Why is he here? What is he doing? Was he really looking for me? Why would he look for me? What does he want from me? Is he planning something again?_

Those questions and others of a similar vein ran through his mind.

He heard Newton let out a short yet proud laugh, and he heard his footsteps stop right behind him. Still, something was keeping him from turning around.

“I’ve finally found you again, my dear friend!” Newton cheered, his voice right in where Sackboy’s ear would have been. “You’re not an easy one to find, you know…”  
  
His words were left to hang in the air as silence started growing between them. Before it could grow too thick, the lightbulb-head suddenly walked around and stepped out in front of him.

“Oh, come now, old chum,” he persisted, a slight pleading tone in his voice. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember me…you do, don’t you?”  
  
It took a few long seconds, but Sackboy’s body finally felt less stiff. He nodded hesitantly in response.

“Y-You do?” Newton grinned and took hold of his hands, and almost looked ready to fly off to the moon in his celebratory mood. “This is wonderful! I knew you’d never forget your co-conspirator!”

Sackboy could only stand there awkwardly, silently taking in the sight of Newton holding his hands and hopping up and down on the balls of his feet. _Am I asleep? I’ve got to be dreaming right now, right? There’s no way..._

Newton seemed to notice the knitted one’s confusion after a short while and let go of one of his hands. “Ah, that’s right. You had no idea I was coming, did you?”

Sackboy shook his head, only growing all the more worried and confused. _How was I supposed to know you were coming?!  
_

“How about we sit down somewhere and catch up on things?” It was strange—he was just bouncing in excitement and now suddenly he was acting calm and confident, as if he knew exactly where the situation would go. “It’s been quite some time since we got to talk, and I don’t doubt for a second we both have much to discuss!”

Sackboy stared at him, still feeling incredibly uncertain. After thinking it over briefly, he nodded again. He knew he wasn’t good at reading other peoples’ intentions and had the habit of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, but…

…he really wanted to believe that Newton was a good person.

And so they sat together, on the bridge where their first encounter had begun, Sackboy nervously fidgeting with his zipper as Newton thoughtfully gazed down at the reflections in the water.

————

A whirlwind of emotions had hit Newton hard at the sight of Sackboy.

The first one to register was the wave of relief that washed over him when he realized his old friend was alive and well—the horrid dream never happened. The second was just general excitement over finding the person he had spent the past few hours looking for. The last one—at least, the last one he’d bothered to take note of—felt as though someone had grabbed his soul and bundled it in a warm blanket.

After all, even after months had passed, even after all the trouble he had caused, Sackboy hadn’t forgotten him.

Those high spirits of his started to die down, however, as they sat side-by-side, a tense atmosphere hanging over their heads that seemed to grow heavier with each silent second. And it soon hit him—

—the realization that Sackboy hadn’t forgotten him, which meant he hadn’t forgotten what he had done.

Newton felt like a fool to not have figured it out sooner. _Why would he have forgotten that? How in Bunkum could he have forgotten that? And here I was acting like nothing happened...how idiotic can I be?_

He decided to speak up. If they didn’t talk this out, it would never get resolved.

“I...know this is a big surprise,” he started off slowly, still thinking up the right words. “My showing up out of nowhere probably gave you quite a shock. But...”

He felt his hands begin to shake. An eerie feeling rose within his chest, and he wanted it gone. He had been planning this for so long, why was he so anxious about it now? He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to continue.

“...I just needed to see you again. I couldn’t...I couldn’t just leave things as they were.”

He opened his eyes again and looked over at Sackboy, trying to gauge his reaction, but the knitted hero still hadn’t looked his way. His hands had ceased their playing with the zipper on his chest, now grasping it tightly, and though it was a bit tricky to determine his features from the side, he seemed to have had a certain expression in his eyes that made something inside of Newton feel achy—an expression of anxiety, confusion and woe.

Even taking his stature into account, Sackboy had never looked so small.

“I guess…more than anything, I…” Newton repositioned himself so he was facing the other now, proceeding with his speech carefully. “…I…wanted to find you again and…apologize. For everything I’d done. And…a-and thank you for everything _you’d_ done. I don’t think I ever got the chance to do that.”

Sackboy now looked up at him, black button eyes meeting his electric yellow ones, though he kept his hands gripped on the zipper. The cautious look never left his face, nor did his posture grow any less tense, but at least he was making eye contact now—it meant he was willing to hear him out. And Newton knew for certain that there was no turning back at this point.

“When I brought you over to Bunkum…all that I wanted was to change the world. To make things better for everyone…” His voice trailed off as he rethought his words, not feeling quite right about what he had said. “…well…that’s what I told myself anyway. Everyone in Bunkum knows what I really wanted to do. And that…was to live up to my father’s name.”  
  
It wasn’t an easy secret (if you could even call it that, since everyone already knew it) for him to admit. He hated thinking about how inadequate he seemed in comparison to his father, how most would view him as inferior and at least one reporter even went as far as to publish a story about his failures.

Well, granted, that story only came out during his reign of terror under the Titans’ control, and the reporter had apologized to him and his family since then, but it still hurt when he learned of it afterwards.

“I thought,” he went on, as it seemed that Sackboy had no interjections, “that if I could conquer the Titans myself and obtain their powers, I could use them to bring the world more creativity than ever before. But I didn’t stop to think even once about how things would actually unfold…about how dangerous the task would prove itself to be until it was too late.”

It was now his turn to avert his eyes as the shame of the incident weighed down on his shoulders. “I never wanted to hurt anyone…and that includes you. I just wanted everyone to think I _could_ be as great as Papa…and because of that, I’d nearly destroyed everything. And I dragged you into it, forcing you to clean up after the gigantic mess I’d made. And for that…I’m deeply and truly sorry. More than I could ever express, more than you could ever know.”  
  
The inventor allowed himself another glance at Sackboy, which turned into a full-on stare as he noticed his position. The smaller creator was hunched over with his face hidden in his hands, shoulders visibly trembling. Newton knew better than anyone that Sackboy had every right to react that way, but it was somewhat befuddling to him.

If Sackboy actually felt this way, why did he smile and wave as if all was forgiven?

————

_Ugh…why…why do I feel like this…_

_I really am too childish…this is so stupid…_

_Out of everything he did, why…why am I getting so upset over the smallest of things?!_

As Newton continued talking, Sackboy felt something inside of him hurt—the same pain he felt every time his mind returned to those memories from not too long ago. The memories from the brief time he and the lightbulb-head spent together before he released the Titans.

Compared to everything else that happened, those particular memories should have been the ones that hurt him least. And yet…

_He manipulated me…that time we were together meant nothing to him…he just saw me as something to use and throw away…why is this the thing that’s tearing me apart right now?! He put the rest of Bunkum through an even scarier situation and here I am almost crying over…over…_

“Are you all right, dear chum?” Newton’s voice cut into his thoughts, and he glanced up at him, feeling all the more timid when he noticed the worried features on his glassy face. Unable to look at him any longer, the stitched one ducked his head back down, continuing to hide away and deal with the inner conflict of never wanting to see Newton again and at the same time never wanting him to leave.

He heard the inventor let out a shaky sigh. “Right. Stupid question. Of _course_ you’re not all right.”

And suddenly he felt Newton clinging onto him, fingers clutching at his jacket tightly, and the slight tingling of static on the yarn that made up his skin. It didn’t take long for him to realize that Newton had broken down crying.

“I’m so sorry, Sackboy,” he wept, voice muffled by the jacket he had buried his face into. “I-I’m...I-...I’m s-so, so sorry...”

Sackboy’s posture became less stiff, but he felt just as tense and awkward as ever. In spite of the weird atmosphere he still felt driven by the neverending goodness of his heart, and he hugged him gingerly, trying to comfort him the best he could even after everything that happened.

After what felt like an eternity had gone by, Newton lifted his head up again to meet the knitted hero’s eyes, his own somewhat blurry from his crying, and smiled sadly at him. “Hah, look at this...I came here to make things up to you and now here you are rescuing me again...I truly am a failure, aren’t I?”

Sackboy shook his head in response. He was still feeling uncertain of what to do in this scenario, but he felt that in any case calling Newton a failure would have been harsh. Sure, he was misguided, and perhaps rather foolish, but a failure seemed to be too much.

Newton sniffed, then let go of Sackboy and moved away a bit, apparently now aware that he probably invaded his personal space. “I don’t know if it means anything, but…I really did enjoy your company while it lasted. You were the first real friend I’ve had in, well…I’m not sure how long…” He looked off to the side, as if he were feeling a bit shy. “…but…it was more than just that. To have someone who looked at me like I knew what I was doing—of course, you wouldn’t know me well at all if you expected that...but also racing through the Peaks with you, a-and showing off my inventions to you, it—well, I-I don’t want that to go away, but I’ve most likely completely squandered it.”

The inventor then turned his head, and Sackboy could see a clear determination in his glowing eyes. “But still, I really don’t want us to part like this, s-so…i-if you’ll accept my friendship again, I’ll…I-I’ll do my very best to do right by you this time.”

Even though he felt he should have stayed on his guard, something about those words struck a chord with Sackboy. He knew he might have been naïve and unskilled in judging peoples’ character, but his intuition was telling him that Newton’s words were sincere. And he stood by his strong belief that everyone was capable of changing for the better, so he wanted to trust his intuition, and by extension trust Newton.

So he took hold of Newton’s hand and gave him a warm smile.

“Ah—“ The lightbulb-head jolted slightly, seemingly surprised by the sudden touch. “Does…Does that mean you’re going to give me another chance?”

Sackboy nodded, still smiling over at him. Newton looked him over with disbelief in his widening eyes for a moment before a large smile spread across his face, a smile full of relief and gratitude, and he held the silent one’s hand tightly in both of his own. “Sackboy…thank you. Thank you so, so very much…I promise you I’ll do better this time, I won’t act as foolishly as I did, and—and—!“

He stopped in the middle of his sentence as Sackboy insistently patted his hands with his free one, trying to tell him that he didn’t need to make such a big deal out of it. Fortunately, Newton got the message and calmed himself down before emitting a chuckle.

“Aha…I do tend to get carried away sometimes, as you undoubtedly know,” he said sheepishly, briefly glancing off to the side with a silly grin on his face before looking to Sackboy again. “But I can’t help it right now! I’m just…so happy to see you again, dear chum.”  
  
Sackboy nodded in agreement, and for some reason he felt unable to stop smiling. In spite of everything, he was happy to see Newton again too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the bonding begiiiinnn
> 
> I just want to make sure I feel really into it before I post it so it's kinda hard when I'm unsure of what comes next
> 
> It's hard writing what I want to when I don't know what I want to write
> 
> Thank you for bearing with me ;;^_^;;


	5. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rest period before another hangout begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what the hell's been going on with this chapter
> 
> Like in the middle of writing it I got this feeling like "oh man what have I done this entire fic was a dumb idea"
> 
> But then I continued writing today and it just flowed fairly smoothly??? And now I've got a tiny bit more of an idea of where I want this to go????
> 
> Anyway, we'll just have to wait and see

Newton seemed awfully upbeat at dinner that night.

If circumstances had been the way they were before the incident, this would not have been so unusual. But as of late it was rare for the Puds to see Newton outside of his room, and when they _did_ see him he always looked so somber, whether it was from the regret he carried with him or from the nightmares and memories he would suffer from. It was odd to see him eating so easily either, as these days he would need to be convinced he deserved food, if he had an appetite at all.

But tonight Newton was in an especially good mood, and he went to work on his carbonara with no coaxing at all. It was, without question, a welcome sight for his parents to see, but even so they couldn’t help but wonder what prompted it.

“Supper’s turned out better tonight, I take it?” asked Nana Pud, still thinking of a way to gently pry her son for an explanation.

Newton, cheerfully unaware of his family’s confusion, nodded before sticking another forkful of noodles into his mouth…somehow. “Oh, it’s always great, Mumsy!” he answered after swallowing, still making sure to avoid the wrath of a parent witnessing bad table etiquette in the midst of his blissful reverie.

“And yet you haven’t cared much for it the past few months,” Captain Pud gruffly noted.

Newton’s face fell slightly as he remembered the exact situation he was in, and he looked away from his parents anxiously as he poked at his food. “Ah, well...I suppose I just haven’t felt like myself lately.”

“We know, Newton,” Captain Pud replied, though his voice took on a softer tone this time. He released a light sigh and reached over to tap Newton on the shoulder in order to get his full attention. “You’ve been hiding away from us quite a bit. Your mother and I...we’re worried for you. We’ve been hard on you, cog knows, but we both only want what’s best for you.”

The inventor nodded, managing another mouthful of pasta as the euphoria that bubbled up within him started to die down. _I’ve heard that from you both a lot lately, things like “it’s for your own good” and “we want what’s best for you” when deep down you’re thinking about what a disappointment I’ve become and wondering where you went wrong with me—_

“Newton. Are you listening, son?”

The stern edge came back to his father’s voice, causing him to jolt up a bit and focus on his words. “Ah—yes, I-I’m listening, Papa!”

Captain Pud’s serious expression quickly faded into one of sympathy, and he gently placed his hands on his child’s shoulders. “Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re thinking. You’ve done a foolish thing but you’re still our son and we still love you. We’re getting through this together—it’s a slow process but a process nonetheless—and we’re here to help you every step of the way. So don’t think for a moment that you’re alone in this, all right?”

Newton could feel the burning in his electric eyes for a split second before it quickly faded away—a good thing too, he thought. He’d already been visibly vulnerable enough for one day.

“I-I know, Papa,” he responded, voice as small as he felt in that moment.

His father nodded. “Good. Don’t ever forget it.”

Newton didn’t know what expression he was wearing, but it apparently made it clear that he didn’t want to speak about this anymore as his parents dropped the subject and went back to their dishes. He went back to his own meal, slouching slightly as the realization of how much he had worried them settled within him.

_But at least I’ve done_ something _right today..._

A small smile crept up on the lightbulb-head’s face as the memory popped up in his head again. His first time meeting up with Sackboy again and already he’d felt as though his spirits were lifted to the Imagisphere’s greatest heights. It felt like any feat was truly possible for him, like he could go anywhere he wanted, build anything he desired—

_I wonder if Sackboy makes everyone around him feel this way? Does he just have an aura of pure joy that spreads to people who talk to him?_

It was most peculiar to him, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

Dinner finished for the Puds soon after, and Newton was quick to start getting himself ready for bed, exhaustion from his all-nighter seeping in once again. A two-hour nap would only keep him awake for so long, after all, and he wanted to make sure he was rested and ready for tomorrow...

————

_Who knew that today would’ve turned out like this…_

Sackboy’s sleepy gaze focused on the fuzzy dice hung from the ceiling, lazily watching as they’d twirl every so often. He would usually do this on nights where he had trouble drifting away, letting his eyes follow the pattern of the movements until they grew dizzy and he’d have to keep them shut. However, he figured that this wasn’t one of those nights—it was quite hard for him to keep his eyes open now, and the only reason why he did so in the first place was to process the day’s events.

He didn’t normally feel so worn out at the end of the day, but then again most of his days were peaceful and he would usually have an idea of what to expect from them. But he had never expected Newton to come all this way just to meet with him again, to apologize profusely and ask for another chance at friendship. He hadn’t even expected Newton to remember him, really, he just thought he was a faded memory in the midst of the chaos—after all, Newton seemed more focused on the mission he had for them than anything else, and they barely had any time in the end to sort things out with each other before they went to work on the dimensional doorway.

He had no idea what to expect to come out of what happened, and as a result he was left feeling particularly drained.

The knitted one pulled up his blankets and snuggled up against his old flamethrower cat, making himself cozy as he thought over how tomorrow would be. The meeting hadn’t been fully planned out from hellos to goodbyes, but they did decide to have at least one of his friends present, so he wouldn’t feel anxious from it being just them. They settled on Da Vinci’s hideout—though Larry was a very busy man, a given for the leader of the Alliance, he was usually available for moral support at the very least.

However, moral support or no, Sackboy still couldn’t help feeling nervous whenever he thought about it. He wasn’t scared of Newton by any means, he knew he wasn’t abad person and he was trying his best to atone for his past crimes. He could only guess that it was because he really wanted this renewed friendship to work, although he was still wary of what the inventor’s true intentions might have been.

_Is he really just here to be friends with me again? What if he’s only doing it because he feels guilty? What if he’s just using me to make everyone like him again…?_  
  
He didn’t want to suspect these things. But Newton had misused his trust before, and it would take longer than just one conversation to get it back.

So he fell asleep that night, the unanswered questions still floating about in his head.

————

Newton noted the appearance of the hideout as he waited for his silent companion to arrive. It looked simple, yet it was charming in its own way, he thought. He wasn’t the most extravagant man himself, as much as he wanted to look the part, thinking it to be a surefire method to impressing people. Still, it wasn’t really his place to judge, especially since he’d never met this man named Da Vinci before--at least, not according to his memory lately.

Sackboy certainly trusted him quite a bit, from the looks of things.

With not much else to do while he waited, Newton sat down on one of the many oversized books laid on the floor, adjusting his hat before he heard someone clearing their throat.

“You’re Newton, I presume?”

Newton tensed up a bit, feeling startled by the voice, but he turned to the side to see an elderly man with old-fashioned 3D glasses and a beard made up of newspaper trimmings watching him.

_Larry Da Vinci, I’m guessing...strange, I feel like I must’ve seen him somewhere before..._

Pushing that thought to the side for the time being, Newton gave the man a friendly smile. “Ah, yes! Did Sackboy tell you about me?”

“Actually, Clive was the one who told me about you,” the man he assumed to be Larry explained. “He informed me about a strange lightbulb person named Newton who came around asking about Sackthing.”

“Strange lightbulb person...?” That description rubbed the lightbulb-head the wrong way, but he decided not to complain. It wasn’t completely uncalled for, anyway.

“Ahem...where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is...err...” The bearded man’s voice trailed off as he muttered to himself some, looking around the room as if he were searching for clues to a puzzling mystery. “Ah, hmm...I know it had some L’s and some D’s in it...L.E.D...? Hmgh...”

“Larry Da Vinci?” Newton guessed, under the strong impression that he was correct.

The man he continued to assume to be Larry perked up at hearing the suggested name. “Yes, yes, that’s right! I am Larry Da Vinci. Head professor of Popit Academy and leader of the Alliance...no matter what Avalon says.”

As he grumbled the last few words, Newton felt his stomach churn in nervousness.

_Popit Academy...of course, that’s where I’d seen him before! Oh, how embarrassing...a failed pupil seen by his old teacher again..._

“You don’t look so well,” Larry observed. “Do you need anything?”

Once again putting that train of thought on hold, Newton shook his head and forced a smile. “Oh no no, I’m perfectly fine, no need to worry! Just...not the best with travelling to new places, I suppose.”

Larry nodded, seemingly understanding, though there was still a hint of concern in his expression. “I see...well, anyways, you’re here for Sackthing, aren’t you? He should be out in a tick, he’s just in the powder room getting himself ready.”

“Does Sackboy live here?” Newton asked, glancing at his surroundings once more.

“Ah, no. We aren’t sure where he lives, actually. He insists that he’s got a home, but with how limited his communication he is, we didn’t get any further detail...”

“So, you…have no idea where he came from?” The idea of it seemed preposterous to Newton, but then again, despite how harmless and innocent he appeared Sackboy seemed to be full to the brim with mystery. Of course, as Larry had just pointed out, the lack of speech played the biggest role in this mystery, which led him to wonder…

“Da Vinci? Did you ever ask Sackboy about his voicebox situation?”

Larry looked as though he were caught off-guard by the question, staring at Newton for a second before he proceeded to answer. “We’ve brought it up with him before, yes. We all offered to help him, of course—me, Clive, Victoria…even Avalon said he could easily make one for him, claiming he was just that generous.” He rolled his eyes in annoyance before continuing, “But Sackthing’s always declined whenever we suggested it. In fact, not long before he left for that other world…what was it…Bumpkin?”

“Bunkum,” Newton blurted out the correction suddenly before he could stop himself, and he hoped desperately that the elder wouldn’t pick up on anything.

“Ah, yes, that.” Apparently he did not. “Some time before he left, Eve was going to examine that area—I’d never seen anyone run away so fast! I suppose it’s a subject he prefers to have left alone, which is understandable. If I’d gone for my whole life without a voice I’d most likely be anxious about such a drastic change myself…”

The inventor nodded and tried his best to look like he’d understood, even though he couldn’t understand for the life of him. He didn’t know why anyone would turn down such an opportunity—after all, being unable to easily speak your mind seemed to be an incredible inconvenience, did it not? But he didn’t say any of his opinions, because he really didn’t know Sackboy well enough to make any judgments on his decisions, and even if he did it would still be impolite of him to disrespect them.

“Speaking of the young lad,” Larry murmured before looking off to the side and calling out, “Sackthing? Your lightbulb-friend’s been waiting out here for a while, are you almost done in there?”

Not a moment later, the knitted one came running over to them, dressed in a dungaree dress, Wellington boots and a blue scarf that served as a hood. He stopped for a second to catch his breath, then waved happily to both his friends.

“Hmm…I expected something more extravagant with you taking longer in there,” Larry mused. “But then, I’m not exactly well-versed in the art of fashion.”

“Well, _I_ think you look very nice, old chum!” Newton commented with a bright smile. It was true, the outfit was rather simplistic, but it was still a nice arrangement. It seemed that Sackboy could take any outfit, no matter how ordinary, and make it look lovely.

_Just another item on the long list of things he’s capable of,_ Newton thought to himself.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it for now,” said Larry. “I’ll still be here, of course, to keep you two from making _too_ much mischief.”

Sackboy gave a thumbs-up in response, and the bearded man went to the hideout’s elevator to give them both some space. Once it was just the two of them, Newton turned to face Sackboy with an eager grin on his glowing features.

“Now then, where shall we go from here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Larry seems incredibly perplexed by the extremely common phenomenon of people having lightbulbs for heads, don't you think?


	6. Treasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton freaks out over an electric obstacle course. Meanwhile, Sackboy shrugs and nods a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also call this chapter the boring chapter
> 
> I hate writing about places
> 
> I'm not good at describing settings and it's really boring for me to write about anything without a personality
> 
> Soooo this chapter is probably shit but I hope it's at least kind of all right
> 
> I tried my best with this one, sorry

“Um…dear chum? Do you remember when I told you I was allergic to drowning?”

Sackboy nodded, having a fairly good idea of where Newton was going with this.

“Well, ah, the thing of it is…I’m also allergic to electrocution,” Newton went on, clinging tighter to Sackboy’s waist as the pair dangled over the live circuit boards. “So if you could keep me from falling to my doom, I’d…greatly appreciate it…”

Sackboy allowed a small smirk to cross his face at his friend’s words, but he nodded despite himself and swung them both over to the next safe platform. As they took the chance to catch a breath, the stitched one lightly tapped on one of Newton’s arms, which were still wrapped firmly around him.

“Ah-! S-Sorry about that, old friend.” Newton let go of him and gave an awkward smile. “I tend to get rather out of sorts in perilous scenarios like this...erm...how much longer is it?”

Unsure of how to answer, Sackboy shrugged his shoulders. He knew they were in the final stretch of this course, but they did still have a ways to go. And seeing how Newton was handling it so far, it would probably take some time to coax him into pushing on until the end. He had no idea how to convey that without words, however.

Newton gulped at the ambiguous answer, his hand latching onto Sackboy’s as he looked ahead. “Right...well, let’s...l-let’s just stick together, okay, chum?”

Sackboy nodded. _Not sure how or why we wouldn’t, but sure, Newton._

Cautiously, he led the inventor to the next area, with electrified floors that could be set off temporarily. He was about to move towards the first button when he suddenly felt himself pulled backward away from it.

“Have you gone mad?!” Newton asked him incredulously, keeping a grip on his arms. “If you walk in there you’ll come out as nothing but bits of loose string!”

Sackboy pointed behind him at the button, a blank expression on his face all the while. Newton’s worried eyes followed his gesture, quickly dropping their urgency and returning to their look of normal fear as he let go of him. The silent hero smiled at him reassuringly before grabbing his hand and pushing the button, then hurrying across the scrambled circuit boards with his friend in tow.

They went through the rest of the course in this manner, Sackboy able to go through it in an orderly fashion while Newton would lose his composure so easily, occasionally grabbing onto his companion in fear of the contraptions that waited ahead. When it was all over they sat side-by-side on the smooth wooden floor, Newton doing his best to get ahold of himself as Sackboy patted his back in an attempt to calm him down.

“I thought...you said that was...a training course?” the lightbulb-head asked, still slightly out of breath from all the running and wailing about.

Sackboy nodded, and at that moment he wished he was the more talkative sort. It would have allowed him to explain in more detail, retell his first encounter with Larry and the tests and training he put him through.

“Wow...they haven’t gone soft on you at all, have they?” Newton looked at him in disbelief, tilting his head to the side. “Despite your cuddly physique, you’re actually quite the hardened adventurer, hmm?”

Sackboy shrugged in response, ducking his head down as he felt a bit flustered by the descriptor Newton chose. _Do I really look that cuddly...?_

Newton stifled a chuckle at his sudden shyness. “Oh, come now, it’s nothing to act all blushy about! As a matter of fact, I think it’s very interesting…I must admit, I’ve greatly underestimated you in the beginning. You’re far stronger than you let on…that’s better than I can say, I least.”

There was a hint of sadness in the inventor’s voice and smile during the last sentence before he looked away, one that he may not have picked up on, but Sackboy always had something of a keen sense about him, especially when it came to those in need of help. He placed a hand on his coat-clad shoulder in order to get his attention, though without words he didn’t know how he was going to comfort him.

Newton looked back at Sackboy, and the concern he felt must have been written on his face because the taller one was now smiling at him as if nothing was wrong. “Oh, there’s—there’s really no need for worry, my friend. We’re here to have fun after all, I didn’t mean to ruin everything with my complaining.”

Sackboy still felt doubtful about that, but if Newton didn’t want to go on with this line of questioning, he wouldn’t pressure him into talking. Besides, he wanted to trust Newton again, and he figured that sometimes trust meant having to just take his word for it.

_And it’s not like I’d have anything to say to help him anyway…_

Right as he started to linger in his thoughts, Newton was apparently ready for a change of topic, as his voice cut through his thoughts immediately.

“Um, chum? You don’t have to answer if I’m out of line, but...do you have a home?”

Sackboy tilted his head slightly at the question, wondering where it was coming from. Shrugging his odd feeling aside, he nodded, and started thinking about his pod and the last time he’d redecorated it.

“Hm, I thought as much,” Newton mused, closing his eyes as if he were deep in thought. “If I may ask…where is it exactly? Da Vinci told me that he and the rest of your friends don’t know, though I figured you couldn’t have just been roaming about willy-nilly all this time…”

Unsure of how to explain, Sackboy shrugged. He knew how to go to and from the pod, of course, and what it looked like inside and out, but he never really knew its exact location—there were some days he didn’t even know what he would see outside their windows.

Newton’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “You don’t know where it is…? Are you perhaps lost?”

Sackboy shook his head, then pointed upward, not really knowing what other gesture he could use. He knew that from what he could make out from the windows, the pod would sometimes be floating somewhere in space, so he thought that was as good a gesture as any.

“I…don’t think I’m following what you’re trying to tell me…”

But Newton seemed to need a little more help.

————

Newton felt his arm being grabbed by Sackboy, who had unzipped himself and was now reaching inside.

“What _are_ you trying to do, old chu—uuuUUUUAAAAAAGGHHH—!!”

He suddenly found himself in a flash of white light, and a strange feeling of weightlessness. He couldn’t feel any semblance of ground beneath his feet—matter of fact, he didn’t think he felt _anything_ at all save for Sackboy’s hand holding onto him. In a state of panic, he held his free arm up to his face, covering his eyes and bracing himself for the worst.

But the flash disappeared nearly as soon as it arrived, and after that brief moment of terror he took note of his surroundings.

He didn’t know what to expect, if he was being honest. The place seemed to be on the small side, and yet the ceiling was fairly high--but this was not the only notable thing about the ceiling. He saw a pair of fuzzy blue dice spinning about, along with various chalk doodles and old-looking signs, and even a few LED displays. He turned his sights to the back of the room, which had a collection of jewelry pieces scattered on the floor, and then to the side, where a big plush cat laid against the wall next to an assortment of fluffy pillows and blankets.

It was an eccentric style for certain, but Newton thought it was adorable in its own way. It did gave a bit more away about what the silent one was like.

He was brought out of his thoughts by music filling the air, a soft and jazzy tune he felt he might have heard somewhere before. He looked back over to the front to see Sackboy hanging off the floor using one of the die to reach a set of controls near the top.

_This is getting more surreal with every passing minute..._

Sackboy let go of the die and dropped back down, then walked up to Newton and curtsied as if he were welcoming him.

“I see...so this is where you live?” the inventor asked, getting a nod from Sackboy in reply. “Fascinating...I’ve never been to a place quite like this before...is it separate from Craftworld?”

Sackboy shrugged again—he did that a lot today, Newton noticed—then went over to one of the large windows, as if he were trying to show him exactly where they were. Newton followed him and looked through the glass to see a vast array of constellations glimmering in the distance.

_It’s very weird, but it’s…also…breathtaking!_

“This is incredible,” he murmured. “You get to see this outside your window every night? And—And every time you wake up?”

Sackboy shook his head, then moved his fingers to rotate them around each other. This method of communication was a bit tricky for Newton to comprehend, but he thought the message this time was fairly clear.

“It’s randomized, then?” he asked, just to be certain. Sackboy nodded. “Well, that must make things all the more interesting!”

He placed his hand on the window, trying to figure what it was made of. _Plastic? Glass? It’s hard to tell…_ He then slid it over to feel the walls, and noted that they seemed to be mostly made of cardboard. _So it’s actually rather fragile…better hope no vile threats ever find this place._

“Did you build this yourself, chum?” the lightbulb-head inquired, turning his gaze to his friend once again.

Another head-shake, but afterwards Sackboy pointed at himself, then at the variety of items arranged in the room.

“So you…didn’t build this from scratch, but you decorated it yourself?” That made more sense to Newton, but it still didn’t explain how the structure first came to be. Thinking about that made his head start to hurt however, so he decided to focus on something less complex. “Where did you collect all of these things, though, like…hm…”  
  
He pointed at the first thing to jump out at him—one of the LED displays, specifically the one showing a caution symbol. “Like that! What’s that for? We’re not in any actual danger…a-are we?”

Sackboy followed his gaze to the displays, and in an instant his eyes lit up in excitement. He jumped up and grabbed one of the dangling die again, reaching to get one of the decorations, and Newton swore that his heart was about to explode and leave his torso a hollow, ash-ridden husk. “Sackboy, if you think I’m going to stand for you breaking a limb after we’d just barely survived—“

Sackboy had hopped back down before Newton could finish scolding him, holding up one of the displays—not the one the inventor originally pointed to, instead the one next to it showing an animated heart, but they were just about the same anyway. He was holding it up so that it was clear for Newton to view, and from behind the screen he could see him smiling brightly in anticipation.

“Hmm! They had things like these at that factory place, didn’t they?” Newton observed.

Another nod.

“So they were given to you as a souvenir?”

And another nod.

“Is that how you collected all of these things?” Sackboy nodded yet again before jumping back up on the die to put the display back in its place. As he worked on that, Newton glanced around for the umpteenth time in an attempt to not have another anxiety attack, noticing that something was missing.

“What about your costumes?” he asked. “Do you keep those in here somewhere? I don’t see any closets…”

Sackboy shook his head, sat down and unzipped himself again, summoning his Popit and the great collection of outfits it contained. After searching around for a bit he took out a pink helmet, one that Newton recognized from the Console Kitty brand, and then removed his scarf and put it back in before dismissing the Popit.

“Oh, so you get them from that too?” Sackboy nodded, and Newton felt himself growing dizzy again. It would seem that his little chum was full of surprises—quite literally. “I knew there were all sorts of things in there, but…wow!”

He then had another thought—with everything he had stored away in there, what if he…?

“Would you mind if I had a look around in there?” he asked unwittingly.

Sackboy stared at him, an expression of surprise and confusion knitted on his features. It took Newton a couple of seconds before he realized how inappropriate that sounded, and embarrassment splashed down on him like an oil drum filled with icy water.

“I-I mean—!! J-Just to see what’s inside—I mean, I’m only curious! Wh-What I mean is, I—“ Newton cut himself off before he could choke on the foot he was wolfing down. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

Sackboy had already unzipped again, though, and he gave Newton an easygoing smile, as if to tell him it was okay before going back to admiring the Console Kitty helmet, which the inventor took as his cue to indulge his curiosities.

Newton scrolled through the Popit’s different sections until he stopped on the one he was looking for—the Pocket, which if he remembered correctly was supposed to contain all the gadgets Sackboy had obtained. Though he might have been momentarily distracted by some other items, such as a pair of boots and what looked to be some cybernetic gloves, it didn’t take him long at all to find what he was thinking of.

“Aha! You’ve kept it!” he couldn’t help but exclaim, glowing face breaking out into a proud grin.

Sackboy dropped the helmet on his lap, giving Newton a startled look before he saw what captured his attention.

_The pumpinator…_

“You’ve really…held onto it all this time?” he breathed, voice lowering in his stupor.

The stitched one nodded, then tilted his head and gave a questioning look as if to ask _, “Why wouldn’t I have kept it?”_

“I suppose…” Newton fiddled with his coat sleeves, nervously looking down at his hands. “I thought you might’ve thrown it out, hoping that in doing so…” His hands began to tremble, much to his dismay. “…y-you might…forget about me—“

He was interrupted by Sackboy lightly smacking the side of his face. It felt like someone had bopped him with a pillow stuffed with whipped cream. He looked upward again to see his quiet friend pouting at him—apparently he disapproved of him tearing himself down.

_He is truly too sweet for his own good…to be honest, this place is just like him. It mysteriously arrived out of nowhere, it’s got a cozy feel to it, it’s made of vulnerable material and yet it’s managed to last for quite a while, it’s full of hope and happiness and memories…_

At that moment, Newton realized—how long had he been away from home now?  
  
“You wouldn’t happen to have the time, would you, dear chum?” he asked meekly.

Sackboy stood, zipped himself up and got ready to jump to the dice again before inventor quickly stopped him.

“No no no no no no no! You don’t need to do that again! I’ll just look at the clock from here, okay?” He gave the knitted one his best pleading look, hoping he wouldn’t try to endanger himself for the fourth time. To his relief he received a nod in response, though when he turned away and moved to get a better look at the digital clock on the wall, he could have sworn that he heard a muffled giggle from behind him.

If he wasn’t so focused on making out the numbers on the clock he might have realized what was so odd about that. Instead he rolled his eyes, mild annoyance on his face. “Yes, yes, you’re quite the daring little…”

_Oh dear…8 o’clock already?!_

He felt his stomach drop.

“Ehem, Sackboy, I do apologize for cutting things short,” he stammered, wondering what in Bunkum he was going to tell his parents, “but I really must be getting back home. It’s past dinnertime, you know, and Mumsy will be furious if she finds that I’m nowhere to be found!”  
  
Sackboy’s eyes narrowed in confusion, for reasons unknown to Newton, but he nodded and turned to a set of controls stationed near the front window. After pushing a few buttons he faced him again to wave goodbye, a gesture the lightbulb-head quickly returned before the flash of light overtook him again.

He wasn’t so perturbed by the light or weightlessness this time around, though that might have been only because he was terrified of what his family would say.

————

After sending Newton on his way, Sackboy backed away from the pod computer and looked up at the clock curiously. He knew that his schedule was looser than others, but Nana Pud wouldn’t have been too angry at Newton for coming home a little after 6 PM, would she?

_She can be pretty scary,_ he thought to himself, opting to sit on a pillow. _But…is that really why he left so fast? Maybe he just got bored of me and decided he didn’t wanna talk to me anymore…I mean…I can’t even hold a conversation with him, so—_

_…well—_

Sackboy shook off the incoming thought before it could even fully form. _No, that’s stupid. This whole thought process is stupid. I told myself I’d trust Newton…_

Releasing a sigh in frustration, he began to change out of his boots and dungaree dress as he thought about what to do next when he received a message on his pod computer. He rushed over to open it, wondering if Newton might have found out how to contact him, and read:

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Clive Handforth_

_Meet at the factory! It’s urgent._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo are they boyfriends yet
> 
> ...what do you mean NO?????
> 
> Again, I really tried my best here, I'm just bad at describing places, sorry
> 
> Hopefully the next chapter will be better ;o;


	7. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy hears some distressing news and Newton is there for him. Meanwhile, I am very mean to Newton in the descriptions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Monokuma voice- Emergency, emergency!
> 
> Once again I kept getting mixed emotions about this chapter
> 
> I guess more than anything I've just been doubtful about how this is going to pan out
> 
> But at one point while I was writing I could just see it clearly and felt kind of okay
> 
> Jeez brain why can't you just give me some consistent feelings for once

Newton was never the fastest runner in Bunkum. But right now that didn’t matter—not even the fastest runner in the _Imagisphere_ was capable of turning back time.

He sprinted back to the bridge where his invention waited, hopped into the chamber and set it to return to Bunkum, then waited for the procedure to begin, shaking in his boots as he muttered anxiously to himself.

“I can’t believe it how could time fly away from us so fast Mumsy and Papa are going to be so cross with me they’re going to wonder why I took so long they’re going to search my room for answeeEEEAAAAAHHHHH—!!!”

The transportation process happened so fast, even after going through it three times before Newton still wasn’t quite used to it. Nor was he used to the hard landing in his room and the forceful ejection. But he didn’t allow his minor headache and the odd feeling in his limbs to deter him from his panic. He pushed the chamber back into his closet with about as much speed as one could with something so heavy, shut the closet door tightly and raced down the stairwell to the kitchen.

“Newty, how many times have your father and I told you not to run down the stairs?” Nana Pud chided him, peeking into the oven for a moment before closing it. “If your bulb gets any cracks in it, it won’t be easy to replace.”

“I’m sorry, Mumsy,” Newton apologized, looking down at the floor as his stomach tied itself into several complicated knots. “And...I’m also sorry for coming down so late to dinner.”

His mother looked over at him quizzically. “What in cog are you talking about? Dinner’s not even ready yet.”

“...wait, what?”

“You’re down here quite early, actually,” Nana Pud mused, once again checking inside the oven. “It’s not even 6:20 yet. It’s quite rare to see you out of your room at this time anyway.” She gave him a small smile. “Are you feeling like yourself again?”

Newton’s nerves finally settled down as he realized what was going on. _So I didn’t have to rush here after all...just haven’t gotten the hang of digital clocks yet, I suppose._

“Ah...yes, I suppose I am,” he replied, returning the smile.

“Since you’re down here, would you care to help me set things up?” she asked him.

“Of course, Mumsy!”

————

Sackboy ran through the factory’s doors, vigilance coursing through his body as he waited for Clive. He had no idea what could have happened here that required such haste, but he knew that none of the Alliance members would have lied about something being important. He remained on his guard, observing his surroundings until he heard two pairs of footsteps approach him.

“Sackthing! Glad to see you could join us,” Larry called to him. Once they were all together he turned to face Clive. “Now what’s all this about, Clive?”

“It’s awful,” the calendar man moped. “Just the worst—I thought at least _they’d_ never leave me but now they’re gone…”  
  
“Oh, out with it, Clive!” Larry insisted. “Who is the ‘they’ you’re referring to?”  
  
“The sackbots,” Clive explained, sketched expression resembling that of a lonely puppy. “Well, not all of them, but some of them are gone…”

Larry raised an eyebrow. “How can you tell? There are quite a lot of them here, aren’t there? Maybe you just missed a few of them.”

Clive shook his head. “I count them every morning. They all always show up for maintenance. Things might not be the best they could be here, but at least we had that under control.” He hung his head in shame. “But not anymore…oh, everything’s falling apart…not even Luscious Lucy could lure them back to the light...”  
  
Sackboy felt his body tense up with fear as he listened to Clive’s plights, and thought back to the time he’d first arrived to the factory and helped the sackbots escape. From the moment he met them he wanted to look after them and keep any harm from coming to them. He wasn’t certain how to explain it—even if he _was_ the talkative type—but if he had to try he’d guess that they were like younger siblings to him, with how excitable they were and how they’d always seem to follow him around whenever he was in their vicinity.

To think that even a few of them were missing now made him feel extremely worried. And of course, hearing Clive’s gloomy monologue in the background didn’t help ease his distress.

“Those poor little fellas,” the factory owner went on. “Somewhere out there, lost and alone…probably scared out of their minds and wandering aimlessly through the streets, confused and vulnerable…”

“That’s enough, Clive,” Larry shushed him. “You’re overwhelming Sackthing with your talk of worst case scenarios. This being a rather large industry, they most likely got lost somewhere. Still, we’ll keep a lookout for them and begin a proper search party tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you should keep looking around the factory, perhaps get other sackbots to search throughout the night—just in case they _are_ hiding in here somewhere.”

Clive nodded, though he still looked reluctant about this current plan. “I suppose…but I still have a bad feeling about this…”

“You tend to get a bad feeling over everything, Clive.”

Sackboy simply stood back and watched as the discussion continued for a few minutes, before he decided to head outside. He heard their plan and he’d follow it with them, and without giving his own input on the situation he wouldn’t be of much use to them tonight.

He noticed that it was growing darker, but that didn’t matter to him. Something within him didn’t want to go home right away, which he wouldn’t have minded so much if there was somewhere else it wanted him to go instead. Alas, aside from that one detail, he was otherwise indecisive.

So with no clear path in mind, he let his legs carry him away to wherever they would.

————

Newton knew that this was a risky decision. He had claimed to his parents that he wanted to go to bed early after dinner that evening, but in reality he still had some energy left in him and he wanted to chat with Sackboy some more before he officially turned in for the night. He was well aware of the things that could go wrong, that his parents could check up on him at any moment and find him absent—he knew of it all the way back to designing the invention’s blueprint—but for some reason he still wanted to go through with this.

Most people would react to this by calling Newton a complete idiot (were they really wrong though?) but he didn’t care about that at the moment.

_What can I say? It would seem my little chum’s daring attitude’s rubbed off on me some._

Fortunately for him, Sackboy didn’t take too long to find or wait for this time. He found him near the factory, hugging his legs close to his chest and burying his face in his knees, back against the wall.

The inventor couldn’t pinpoint what it was about the sight that made him rush over, but he had a feeling that it was the same thing that made his chest ache faintly. Sackboy seemed all the smaller now that he stood over him, and he also noted that he wasn’t wearing any costume now, exposing each stitch and thread of yarn that held him together.

Newton didn’t get any more time to think to himself after that, as Sackboy had apparently noticed the glow from his head and looked up to meet his eyes. The knitted creator gave a small smile and waved in greeting, but the smile didn’t reach his button eyes, which Newton noted didn’t hold their usual light—even _with_ the reflection of his face in them.

“Is something troubling you?” he asked him, and he added before his friend had any chance to deny it, “Don’t try to hide it. It’s sewn all over your face.”

He meant to say it gently but it didn’t seem to matter, because Sackboy’s face still fell as if he’d just endured a harsh lecture. He nodded before curling up into himself again.

Newton sat down and scooted closer, not noticing that they were nearly pressed up against one another. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sackboy didn’t move at all from his position.

“Do you...not know how to talk about it?” Newton tried again, keeping communication issues in mind.

This time he got a nod out of him. He searched through his deep coat pockets, hoping that there might have been a pen and paper in there, and it would seem that Newton was as lucky as he was a moron, because lo and behold they were conveniently tucked away in there.

“You can write your sorrows here,” he offered, handing over the items to his silent companion, “if you want to, that is.”

Sackboy took the paper and pen and began to write, and Newton peeked over his shoulder to make out the message.

_my friends are missing_

“Your friends?” Newton felt a chill over him all of a sudden, realizing just how serious Sackboy’s worries were. “You mean...like Larry and that calendar fellow?”

Sackboy shook his head and added a word to the paper.

_sackbots_

“...what...is a sackbot, exactly?”

_they live at clive’s factory_

_the alliance makes them and they help us protect craftworld_

_but they get really scared on their own and now some of them are missing and_

Sackboy froze in the middle of his writing, clutching the paper tightly in his fingers. Newton recognized the face he made all too well, the immense fear and concern and loneliness in his eyes—a concoction of emotions he himself was no stranger to.

He was about to say something when Sackboy wrote one more thing on the paper, something that made the achy feeling in his chest return with a vengeance.

_i just feel so useless right now_

Newton firmly grabbed onto the shorter one’s shoulders and looked him in the eye with a serious expression. “You know that that’s far from the truth, don’t you, chum?”

Sackboy looked off to the side, his expression doubtful.

“Well, you should, because it is!” Newton huffed. “In case you’ve forgotten, you played a _huge_ role in saving both Craftworld _and_ Bunkum! You can hardly call yourself useless if you’ve done all that, right?”

Sackboy went back to scribbling on the paper, biting down on his lip.

_the alliance gave me things to fight with_

_and i only did a 4th of the work to fight the titans_

_all i do is rely on people to help me do things_

_i can’t actually do anything without them_

Newton groaned as he read through the message. “Stubborn little thing, aren’t you…” He let go of Sackboy’s shoulders only to put his hands on either side of his head. “Remember that _the Alliance_ was the one to call on _you_ for help! Remember that _I’m_ the one that dragged _you_ into the Titans fiasco in the first place! You think that all you’ve been doing is depending on others? Remember that _everyone’s_ been depending on _you_ the whole time!”

Sackboy stared at him wide-eyed, and Newton thought he might have seen tears begin to leak out, but he decided to continue pressing on.

“And really, no matter how much you rely on people or vise-versa, you can’t expect so much of yourself! Nobody’s capable of doing such overwhelming feats alone—not even someone as talented as you.”

For a split second he thought he’d noticed a faint blush creep up on Sackboy’s face, but he was more focused on the tears that began to drip down his cheeks, and he rubbed them away with one of his hands. Once he was done with that, Sackboy reached for the paper once more and, with a hesitant look on his face, wrote down a question.

_how do you know all that stuff about me?_

_“_ Huh-?? Ehrm, well...” Newton hadn’t expected that question to come up so soon, and he had to force his brain to quickly conjure up an excuse.

“I, ah, um…w-well, everyone knows about your battle with the Negativatron!” he babbled off the top of his head. “And so, o-obviously they’d do some digging and pick up more details like that! It’s that…simple...”

Judging by the look on Sackboy’s features, it would seem that he absolutely did not buy that excuse. But to Newton’s relief the look didn’t last long, returning to the fear and worry it held before.

_Whoever these sackbots are, they must be greatly important to him..._

And then the lightbulb-head decided to make a bit of a bold move, probably still processing the adrenaline that led him to this nightly visit to begin with.

He pulled Sackboy into a tight hug.

————

Sackboy was taken by surprise when he found himself in Newton’s arms all of a sudden. He felt even more surprised by how warm and soft his coat felt, and how firm yet gentle his hold on him was. He felt immensely comfortable in this position, and yet he felt a little…off.

He looked up at Newton, gazing into his glowing yellow eyes, wanting to ask him why he was doing this and hoping he’d somehow figure out that question on his mind. But if he did, he wouldn’t answer, apparently too focused on the embrace to let the matter of intentions get in the way.

“It’s all going to be all right,” he heard him whisper, the sound accompanied by a subtle feeling that resembled static slightly tickling him where his ear would have been. “Maybe I don’t fully understand, but you’ll be okay. You’re going to get through this, and so will your friends.”

Sackboy leaned into Newton’s shoulder, still amazed by just how comfy he felt, and simply let himself be held by him, the fear that hung over him earlier starting to slowly melt away.

Before he knew it, he’d closed his eyes and dozed off.

————

Newton didn’t know how much time had passed. He didn’t know if his parents went into his room. He didn’t know what lecture he might have been in for when he returned home that night.

But at the moment he was trying not to think about that—not now that Sackboy had finally calmed down. The stitched one had his head rested on his lap, now sleeping off the distress he had gone through. And Newton didn’t intend to disturb that with his own troubles.

He looked down at his slumbering chum, watching his facial expressions to make sure his worries didn’t follow him into his dreams. But it would seem that, at this time at any rate, they hadn’t.

_He looks so peaceful right now…he actually looks rather adorable. He’s always had that sort of look to him, but it’s especially obvious now…_

Newton felt a strange new emotion take hold of him. He felt the powerful urge to keep Sackboy safe and out of harm’s way—thinking on it now, he _had_ felt it before, most notably earlier in the day when they were avoiding electric shocks, but at the time he had just assumed it was his basic survival instincts kicking in. But now he was feeling unmistakably protective over his silent friend.

“I say, is that Sackthing there with you?”

The inventor looked up to see his former professor hurry towards him, forcing him out of his thoughts. “O-Oh, yes. We were just talking for a while and he fell asleep on me. He must’ve been tired out from everything today.” He let out a soft chuckle afterwards, glancing down at Sackboy again for emphasis.

“I see…” Larry approached the two of them, a concerned expression written on his features. “He’s heard some rather stressful news today…when we noticed he’d left during our discussion, we were worried he might’ve done something reckless.”

The new protective urge within Newton grew louder upon hearing that. It was hard enough to watch the knitted hero climb up dice to take a decoration down, he didn’t even want to think about him purposely putting himself in a truly dangerous situation.

“Anyway,” Larry continued, clearing his throat. “Thank you for looking after him, old bean. I’ll bring him back to the factory now to stay until he wakes up.”

He put a hand on Sackboy’s shoulder and carefully helped him up to his feet, the smaller one keeping his eyes shut all the while as his mouth moved a bit, as if he were sleepily mumbling to himself.

Newton stood up and watched as they walked away, and he noticed one more emotion make its entrance into him. It was another feeling that made his chest ache, but not quite the same way as before. This time it felt more like a sadness, like something close to his heart had been taken from him.

But he chose not to think about that for now. It was beyond time for him to return home anyway.

So he walked away to the bridge, Sackboy’s sleeping face still clear in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm....what could it all mean????
> 
> I'm not entirely sure how to write about people falling in love
> 
> But I'm going to do my best here


	8. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pud family discusses Bunkum's future, and the sackbot search begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got mixed feelings about this chapter (a pattern, you see)
> 
> I wanna write about Sackton fluff all day but I know they're not gonna be joined at the hip just yet
> 
> Guuuhhh anyway

Sackboy rose from his dreamless sleep about ten minutes after he’d been brought back to the factory. He blinked his eyes repeatedly and glanced around at his surroundings, looking to see if Newton was anywhere nearby. The lightbulb-head was nowhere to be found, and instead he found Larry and Clive standing above him, concern in both their expressions.

“Are you feeling better, Sackthing?” Larry asked him.

Sackboy pushed himself up into a sitting position, groggily rubbing one of his eyes. It took a second or two to get his senses back, but he nodded in response.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” said Clive, looking even more morose than before. “I didn’t want to pass my hopelessness onto you.”

Sackboy turned to Clive with a small smile and gave a thumbs-up, indicating that it was fine. He would have felt worry over the sackbots’ disappearances regardless, so the calendar man’s depressing speech didn’t have too strong of an effect on him in the long run.

“Now that you’re awake,” Larry spoke up, “you should probably head back home now. It’s become rather late, and you should rest up for the search tomorrow. You seem to be quite tired already...”

Sackboy nodded, already feeling his eyelids growing heavier as he listened. After quickly waving goodbye, he reached inside himself, and with the press of a button on his Popit he was back inside the pod in no time at all.

Once back home, he fell back onto the pile of blankets and pillows that served as his bed. He allowed his eyes to fall shut, but he tried to hold onto his consciousness for a bit longer so he could process what had happened.

_I got upset after hearing about the sackbots and walked out...I sat outside for a while and at some point Newton was there...he saw that I was upset, and he tried to help me, and...and..._

_...he grabbed my shoulders, then my head, and then...then he..._

_...he hugged me?..._

Sackboy pulled one of his many blankets over himself, completely hiding himself away from the world. _Why would Newton do that, though? I thought he...didn’t really care about me..._

He gave into the warmth surrounding him and the exhaustion that overtake him, and in an instant he was out like a light, leaving his confused thoughts to be pondered another day.

————

“Newton! Time to get up!”

Newton quickly sat up from his bed, startled awake by the sound of his father’s voice. Usually it was his mother who would come up to wake him when he overslept, so he wondered if something might have happened to prompt a change.

_Then again, I am prone to overthinking things at times..._

As he got himself ready to head down, he thought back to what went on the previous night. Sackboy seemed incredibly distraught when he’d found him, but he had fallen asleep on him before he could ask if he was feeling any better. Of course, someone dozing off in the middle of venting was usually a good sign that they were calming down, but Newton thought it would be best to know for certain. He didn’t like seeing his little chum in such anguish, and he didn’t like knowing that he could still be going through it.

_But those two friends of his seemed reliable enough. I know Da Vinci is a wise man at any rate, so they probably took good care of him…_

Even so, Newton wanted to be of more use to Sackboy—whether it was due to his guilt or their friendship, he couldn’t say for certain—especially with whatever was going on with the sackbots. He wondered if there was anything he could do to help with the situation. _Perhaps I’ll go over there after breakfast and ask if I can—_

“Newton!! Your food is getting cold!!”

“Gah-! Ah, um—“ Newton hurried up in his routine, putting on his coat and hat. “I-I’ll be down in just a moment, Papa!”

He quickly made his way out of his bedroom and down the stairs, then went into the dining room and sat at the table where his father, mother and three plates of omelettes waited.

“So good of you to finally join us,” Captain Pud greeted him sarcastically.

“I’m sorry about that,” Newton apologized. “I’ve, ahem, had some trouble sleeping last night…”

Nana Pud looked over at him, her brows furrowing in worry. “Did you have more nightmares, Newty?”

“Oh, no no no!” Newton waved his hand and put on his normal broad smile. “Nothing like that! I’ve just been up for a better part of the night thinking about…things.”

“What sorts of things?” Captain Pud asked, but right in the middle of him asking the question Newton put a large forkful of omelette into his mouth, rendering himself temporarily unable to answer. The bearded lightbulb-head huffed in response, but he did so good-naturedly, letting his son know he wasn’t really angry—although perhaps a tad annoyed.

“Anyway, Newton,” he continued, “there’s something we must discuss.”

Newton frowned, swallowing the egg down. “And…what would that be?”  
  
“It’s about the state of Bunkum,” said his father, “and the progress being made to its recovery.”  
  
“Ah, yes…what about it?” Newton asked, feeling less nervous about this talk.

“It’s good news, actually,” Captain Pud explained before taking a swig of his tea. “The repairs are almost finished—Bunkum should be back in tip-top shape in a matter of days. Once everything is back to normal, you and I will venture back out there.”

Newton sat up higher in his seat, dropping his fork onto the plate. “Oh…goodness, r-really? The two of us, Papa?”

Captain Pud nodded. “That’s right. Once the world has fully recovered and it is safe to travel again, we will go out and visit each section of it—the Ziggurat, the Lagoon, Manglewood…no part of the planet will be left unexplored.”

Newton jumped out of his seat and ran over to his father in what seemed like a split second, then proceeded to cling onto him tightly. “Oh, thank you, Papa! Thank you so so much, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!”  
  
Captain Pud let out a chuckle, looking a bit awkward in his current position and only growing more-so when Nana Pud giggled at them. “Now, don’t thank me yet—we haven’t talked about _why_ we’re going to travel, after all…”

The inventor pulled out of the hug, looking up with a curious look in his eyes. “Ah, right…go on!”

After they were all situated at the table again, the adventurer cleared his throat and went on with the announcement.

“The reason why we’re going on this trip around Bunkum is so that we can make peace with everyone you’ve jeopardized while you were possessed. Your mother and I both know you meant no harm, but the rest of the world doesn’t have all of the details about the incident. We’re going to explain to each residence what’s happened, and you’re going to apologize to them.”

A light churning sensation formed in Newton’s stomach. “C-Come again…?”

“Y’can’t expect the people out there to be any less angry with you by doing nothing,” Nana Pud added gently. “They won’t just forget about this—they’re not going to just sweep this under a rug and neither are we. The only way we can get this solved is by facing it head-on.”

“Indeed,” said Captain Pud, nodding in agreement. “I’ve spoken to the three creator curators about the matter, and they’ve all agreed to it. You’ll first speak with Mister Random, then Mister Mache, and finally Miss Buflooms.”

Newton’s stomach dropped the churning—rather, it just dropped in general. “N-No, I-I-I can’t…I—Marlon a-and Papal, I can talk to, but…” He shuddered as he thought about the Lagoon’s queen, and every gruesome threat she had made to him. “…P-Papa, you can’t make me see _her!_ She’ll eat me alive if I’m so much as a mile away from her!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Newton,” Captain Pud chided. “She will do no such thing.”

“How can you know for sure?!”  
  
“As I’ve said, I’m coming with you,” he told him, voice as hard and cold as a stone. “I’m going to make sure no one hurts you when we’re out in the world, make no mistake. We all want to bring Bunkum back to its peaceful days before the incident, and contrary to her temperament, Pinky is no exception. This decision is final, and I’ll not hear anymore complaints.”  
  
Newton still felt extremely reluctant about this whole thing, but he knew well that his father wouldn’t budge on this plan, and he knew that it was the least he could do to make up for everything anyway—even if it did end with his head served in a honey glaze on the angry queen’s table.

“…yes, father.”

“Good. And once that’s done, we’ll reopen the dimensional doorway and head over to Craftworld so you can apologize to that nice young lad—he went by Sackboy, didn’t he?”

At the mention of his friend’s name, Newton’s heart skipped a beat—how odd, he’d never reacted to Sackboy in that way before. Of course, he couldn’t tell his parents that they’d already made up and met a few times, so...

“Y-Yes, I think so, Papa.”

“So you’ll go and apologize to him too, for tricking him into coming and leaving him to clean things up.”

“Right, Papa.”

“In the meantime,” said Captain Pud, “the preparations might be nearly complete, but they won’t get rid of that ‘nearly’ by themselves! We’ll set off to continue our work as soon as breakfast is finished.”

_Well...so much for going over to help out my little chum._ Despite his disappointment, he smiled and nodded in response.

————

As soon as he was awake and dressed for the day, Sackboy immediately rushed back over to the factory. Apparently, even with his speed, some other Alliance members had beaten him to it—Larry, Victoria, Clive and Avalon were already waiting in the foyer for him.

“Salutations, Sackthing!” Larry greeted him. Sackboy returned the greeting with a wave and a smile before glancing around at the area. He pointed at each person and then himself, and then held up five fingers, then seven, trying to ask if they were the only ones meeting there.

“Eve is busy today,” Clive responded, the tone in his voice doing nothing to hide the unhappiness he felt about this. “She’s got patients to tend to at the asylum—Dr. Higginbotham included.”

Sackboy nodded in understanding. Clive and Eve _had_ been getting quite a bit closer lately, even if neither one of them ever really talked about it.

“I see you’re wearing that little outfit I gave you!” Victoria cooed, taking in the knitted one’s somewhat gothic attire. “Well, part of it, anyway. The shorts don’t really match up to it, but you’ve got your own style, I suppose.”

Sackboy moved his hand as if to wave off Victoria’s compliment, before brushing down on the aviatress jacket and top he wore. He knew the outfit came with its own pants, but he never really liked mixing pink and green together, and so he opted for the pirate shorts instead. It looked fine to him, at least.

“All right, let’s get a move on!” Avalon exclaimed. “This is a search party, not a fashion show—though as per usual, I’d win hands-down. No offense, Ace.”

“Oh, hush, Avalon,” Larry said rather huffily, which Sackboy could only assume was because of his sass towards Victoria. “Ah, but...yes, we really should get on with the search.” He regained his composure and turned to Clive. “Clive, you know your factory best—how should we go about this, do you think?”

“Well...each area is fairly big,” Clive replied, words coming out a bit slowly as he looked around with a doubtful expression. “Maybe we should search the rooms together one-by-one...make sure we don’t miss anything.”

“We don’t have the time for all that, though,” Avalon retorted, lowering his eyebrows. “You don’t have to have created science to know that.”

Clive’s face fell at the orange-haired man’s harsh words, and sensing the growing tension Sackboy stepped in between them, waving his hands in front of them and trying his best to get his message of “calm down” across. He knew that wouldn’t suffice, though—unlike him, Clive and Avalon were both men of words, and words would be the most efficient way to break the conflict.

Fortunately, Larry had some words to say.

“Now, now, you two,” he piped up. “Now’s not the time for an argument. Why don’t we have the sackbots and shockbots investigate the rooms we’re not looking into for now?”

Silence hung in the air for a short bit. Of course, with these characters it would not last.

“I definitely thought of that,” Avalon responded confidently.

“Of course you did,” said Clive, rolling his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing Avalon, hope it turned out okay!
> 
> Also I think I've made it obvious who my least favorite character is


	9. Stress and de-stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy is super stressed from the sackbots' disappearance. Newton is super stressed from his nightmares of the future. Meanwhile, I project onto Sackboy just a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEAH, WE DESERVE A VACATION
> 
> YEAH, WE DESERVE A VACATION
> 
> YEAH, WE DESERVE A VACATION
> 
> But do you know who really deserves a vacation?
> 
> Clive

By the time the day was over and the sky had grown dark, the group had thoroughly investigated the factory to near completion. Unfortunately, despite having searched through every possible hiding place in each area, the missing sackbots were nowhere to be found. They even checked the waste disposal section, in case any of them might have wandered down in here by accident.

...well, actually, it was the last place they were looking into, for obvious reasons.

The waste disposal was far from a pleasant area to visit for anyone, even without a sense of smell. Everything looked especially dreary, lacking in the department of old posters and neon lights, and there was danger present practically anywhere one looked. Whether it was the floors made up of burning coals, the gigantic crusher that would flatten old packages without any safety protocols for if someone ended up beneath it, or the various explosives, anyone who was down there for some reason would need to stay on their toes constantly.

“I think we looked everywhere we could,” Clive spoke, looking all the more miserable at the lack of results. “None of the bots came to report anything, either…”

Larry looked down at the metal floor, a pensive expression behind his glasses. “Hmm…this is turning out to be quite the problem, then. I’d originally supposed that they were merely lost somewhere in here, but since they’re still nowhere in sight, there could be more potential danger…”

Avalon shook his head. “We haven’t detected any new threats back in Avalonia—and our technology is top of the line, so you can trust me when I say this. In fact, it’s not just top of the line, it’s at heights the line could only dream of!”  
  
Larry decided to disregard his cohort’s egoist rambling in order to focus on what he said that actually had any relevance to the matter at hand. “Even so, the sackbots are rather sheltered…they’re not exactly equipped to be outdoors without their positivitron beams, and even then those were designed specifically to fight off the Negativatron’s power.”  
  
“So what are we going to do?”  
  
“For now, we need to leave this place before we can plan anything else. It’s practically a furnace in here and my beard is highly flammable—“

“Wait a moment,” Victoria interrupted, looking around with concern in her eyes. “Where’s Sackthing?”

That question brought everyone else to realize that Sackboy hadn’t come back from the search just yet.

“Oh no,” Clive murmured, doodled eyes widening in worry. “Oh, no no no no…what if they took Sackboy too? They’ve got him and it’s all my fault—“  
  
“Really, Clive? You oughta have more faith in our hotshot here. If he can save yours truly, he can probably handle almost anything.” Avalon’s words sounded brash, but anyone could tell by looking a bit closer that he was trying to give some encouragement.

Larry then caught a glimpse of a gloved hand in the gap at the end of the conveyer belt and narrowed his eyes. “Sackthing, what are you doing in there? Get out here this instant!”

Not a minute later Sackboy squeezed himself out through the gap, the majority of himself now dirtied by ash, soot and tiny bits of cardboard. He smiled sheepishly at Larry, who shook his head in disbelief.

“I know you’re more worried about those lost sackbots than the rest of us put together,” he sighed, “but if you think we’ll allow you to risk life and limb to find them, you’ve got another thing coming! We can’t take the chance of someone else getting lost or hurt.”

Sackboy’s expression fell into one of regret, and he looked away from the rest of the Alliance. They took it as an apology, but they felt it wasn’t necessary—they weren’t angry with him, they just wanted him safe. Of course, given the younger member’s constant happy-go-lucky attitude and his tendency to accept every task asked of him with little-to-no question, they also had the slight impression that his silence was hiding more than what was healthy and he just wanted to keep people from worrying.

The longtime Alliance members shared a look and came to the same conclusion.

“Listen, Sackthing,” Larry began. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, because you’ve been a greater help than we could ever have asked for. But…perhaps you should take a break.”

Sackboy tilted his head to look at him again, a confused look crossing his face.

“This situation seems to be putting excess stress on you,” the bearded man continued. “We’ve noticed you’ve been overworking yourself throughout this search, and now you’re forcing yourself into places sackpeople aren’t supposed to be in…”

Immediately Sackboy shut down. He hugged himself tightly and faced away from his friends, posing as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible. From what little of his expression they could make out, he looked scared and defensive, like he was trying to deny the truth of what Larry was saying.

  
Victoria slowly approached the silent one. “What Larry means to say is…you’ve been working very hard for everyone lately, and we very much appreciate it. Which is why we’re asking you now to take some time off, spend the next few days off at least to…have fun and take care of yourself.”

Sackboy remained stiff in his position for a moment before slowly turning to face Victoria. He still looked somewhat frightened, but he seemed to be a bit more receptive to the words now.

“Eve’s very good at taking care of people,” Clive piped up. “Maybe you should go to her asylum tomorrow…it’ll probably help you—huh?”

Sackboy retreated to his previous position, looking even more frightened than before. Before Clive could apologize profusely and go into another self-deprecation spree, Larry spoke up again.

“He just means it will help you relax,” he explained. “We’re all aware of how Eve tends to look at her patients, but you’re not going to be admitted as a patient—you’d just go for a friendly visit. She won’t look at you any differently, we can promise you that. Isn’t that right, Clive?”  
  
“Y-…Yes, that’s right,” said Clive, hesitation in his tone.

Sackboy was starting to look less tense, but anyone could tell he was still nervous about this. It was understandable, really—even if it was for their own good, nobody would ever enjoy being made out to be incapable.

“You can also come to visit the lab anytime you want,” Victoria offered, doing her best to show him her support. “There’s still plenty of leftover sweets in there from the other day if you want some, and if you feel up to it we can bake something together!”

“And if you feel like taking my marvelous machines on a test drive,” Avalon boasted with a grin, “you’re welcome to stop by Avalonia whenever, Ace.”

Sackboy managed a small smile in response, then decided to take his leave. He reached inside of himself, waved farewell to his friends, and just like that he was gone.

“Is he…” Clive mumbled inaudibly before repeating himself. “Is…he going to be okay?”  
  
“Like I said, have more faith in the kid,” Avalon replied, clapping a hand on the calendar man’s shoulder. “This is Sackboy we’re talking about. He’ll get through this.”

————

_Newton had suddenly found himself in an oven._

_It was dark inside, with only enough light for him to just barely make out the shapes of his fingers. It felt cold inside, though, so clearly it hadn’t been turned on yet._

_“Well, that’s good,” he murmured to himself. “I still have a bit of time to get out of here…”  
  
But to his immense dismay, no exit could be found. He pushed himself against each one of the walls, hoping that one of them might have turned out to be the door, but nothing seemed to budge no matter how hard he had tried. So either he wasn’t strong enough to push them open, or the door had been blocked off. Whatever reason it was didn’t make any difference however—either way, he was stuck inside a death trap._

_He tried to calm himself down and think of another possible solution when he felt the rusted metal floor beneath him begin to heat up. Before he knew it he could feel the stuffing within him boiling and the fabric that made up his skin burning. And he didn’t even want to describe how his head felt—coupled with the light already powered inside, it felt unbearable._

_“The punishment for taking the creative heart,” he heard a shrill voice announce from outside, “and for making a fool of me!”  
  
A surplus of light flooded the area from an opening above him, and he looked up to see some sort of skylight had been formed. Peering from behind the glass of the newfound window was a familiar masquerade-masked face with a nightmarishly vengeful smile._

_“Don’t give your queen that look, you horrid little beast,” Pinky sneered at him. “This is only fair, don’t you think? You laid waste to our beautiful planet, and now you get to feed its residents in turn! You should be grateful, really—a lowly criminal such as yourself hardly ever gets this opportunity.”_

_Newton didn’t even try to reason with her. He didn’t know for sure why he didn’t, perhaps the look on her face showed that she was too far gone to be reasoned with. Instead he covered his eyes and screamed, his bloodcurdling cry echoing in the room._

_And then something else strange happened. It was still needlessly warm, but he could no longer hear the sound of sizzling in the background, and instead of standing on rusted metal he felt himself sitting on hot pavement. Furthermore, it seemed that the terror and discomfort he felt had vanished almost instantly._

_He opened his eyes and moved his hands away to see a large, peaceful park in front of him—fresh green grass that seemed to go on forever, a bright blue sky above him, not a single person in sight despite him hearing voices from a crowd in the background._

_“What is going on here…?” he muttered to himself, when out of nowhere he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped a bit, afraid it might have been Pinky again, but the hand felt soft, like a newly-crocheted scarf had been draped over his arm…_

_He turned around and was greeted by Sackboy, who looked abnormally happy to see him and simply stood and beamed at him for a moment before jumping over and tackling him in a hug. The two of them tumbled down the hill of grass for what felt like an eternity, and while Newton usually hated the feeling of bits of grass getting stuck to his fabric or clothes, something about it felt oddly pleasant in a ticklish sort of way._

_Eventually they reached the bottom of the hill, and Sackboy laid on top of him, a playful look in his eyes…_

. . . . . . . .

“Wh…Wha…?”  
  
Newton yawned and sat himself up on the bed, looking out the window. It was a beautiful night outside, he observed, but despite the beauty of the skies, he felt too distracted by the pounding in his chest.

  
Not to mention, despite how chilly Stitchem Manor would often get during the night, he felt uncomfortably warm all over.

He lied in bed for a while, waiting for the warmth to fade away before he fell asleep again.

————

“Ah, hello, little one! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you last.”  
  
Sackboy smiled up at Eve and waved in greeting, whilst trying to hide his nervousness from her. He knew she meant well and her actions came from a place of caring, but he was also fully aware of how she saw her patients, and how she would talk about them.

_It feels…wrong, when I think about it. Doctors really shouldn’t say their patients are nothing without their care, right? Especially if it’s for mental health…_

“Do not worry,” Eve told him gently. “Clive told me you were coming. He also told me why—you have been burning the candle at both ends, hmm?”

Sackboy nodded cautiously, feeling very vulnerable at the moment. He supposed his anxieties about this situation mainly boiled down to not wanting to be looked at by his friends any differently. He felt that he was already looked at differently by the Alliance to some extent, having not said a word and never indicating his origins, and so he didn’t want that feeling to grow just because his brain might have been wired in a way that defied the norm.

“Well, you have come to the right place today,” the nurse said, giving him a warm smile. “I know this problem with the sackbots is scary to you, but you cannot properly solve it if it weighs too heavily on your mind. So today you will focus on relaxation—allow me to show you a new area I have created.”

She went into a golden elevator and beckoned Sackboy to join her, and once he did so it traveled downward, lower than he had remembered the asylum extending to. Soon it stopped, and when they exited what waited in front of them was a large pool, its waters shimmering from the sunlight pouring into the room.

It looked very inviting.

“When you came to battle El Negativatron Diablo,” Eve explained, “I noticed you took a liking to the splashcannon and water ramps, and it inspired me to create a new section for the asylum to help soothe my patients. I call it...the Healing Bath!”

There was still a hint of worry in the back of Sackboy’s mind concerning whether or not she was labeling him as a patient, but he was now mostly distracted by the pool dubbed the “Healing Bath”. He dipped his foot into the water which felt cold to the touch, sending a shiver up his body.

“It will warm up gradually as you swim in it,” Eve reassured him. “Just give it time and enjoy yourself.”

At her advice Sackboy stepped into the water. His legs still felt icy at first, but eventually the temperature adjustment began to kick in and he slowly eased himself deeper into the pool, and before he knew it he could feel his anxieties being pushed back furtherand further until they were almost nonexistent in his mind.

“There we go,” the nurse gushed happily. “You’re looking better already! I need to go back to looking after my patients now, but do not hesitate to call if you need anything else, okay little one?”  
  
Sackboy nodded and held a thumbs-up in the air, and when Eve left he continued to soak in the pleasant waters, though he did take a moment to think about the developing circumstances in the peaceful atmosphere. He knew the whole point of him being here now was _not_ to worry about it, but even so he didn’t want to completely forget about the current crisis.

Still, he didn’t think about things too deeply. The cool and calming feel of the water he was immersed in made it hard for him to worry about anything—in fact, it made him feel rather…euphoric. _What did Eve put in this…?_

————

“Excuse me—please pardon the interruption!”

Newton stammered the words out of a surge of intimidation, mostly due to how unexpectedly loud the door sounded when it opened. The surprise wore off after just a moment, however, and he ran to the main area of the hideout to see Larry, the calendar man and—

_Wait just a minute—is that Avalon Centrifuge?_ he thought to himself, staring at the man wide-eyed. _THE Avalon Centrifuge?? The man who created science and revolutionized technology as we know it???_

_…he’s somewhat shorter than he looks in the posters._

He forced himself out of his own little world when the three men turned to face him with puzzled looks on their features.

“Ah, yes,” Larry said, like he was bringing himself up to speed. “You’re that boy Sackthing brought here the other day…err, what did you say your name was…Norton, was it?”  
  
“My name’s Newton,” Newton corrected himself before wondering immediately afterwards why in the world he did that—did he _want_ to put himself through humiliation again?

“Right, my apologies.” And Newton’s dumb luck continues. “Well then, what can we help you with? I must warn you, we’re a bit busy at the moment…”

“With your sackbot search, right?” the inventor piped, grinning eagerly as his enthusiasm renewed itself. “That’s why I’m here today, actually! You see, that night before you came to bring him back home he told me about everything and I thought that maybe I could assist him and the rest of you with—“

“Whoa whoa—slow down, bud,” Avalon cut him off, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. “This is official Alliance business, you can’t just barge in here like that!” He turned to give Larry an unimpressed look. “You really need to work on your security system here. Take some notes from me, and you won’t get anymore lightbulb weirdos infiltrating your place.”

Newton looked down at the floor, disheartened by Avalon’s comment. “Lightbulb weirdos…? I just--Sackboy’s a dear friend of mine and I just wanted to help him with his troubles…”  
  
Larry narrowed his eyes at Avalon, clearly unamused. “Shush, Avalon. There’s nothing wrong with my security system—I just don’t overcompensate on everything I do like a certain someone.” He then turned to face Newton, a more sympathetic expression crossing his face. “As for you…I may not want to admit it, but Avalon’s right this time. The members of the Alliance are trained and equipped to handle these sorts of things, and bringing an outsider into the predicament will only do more harm than good. We understand that you mean well, but it’s simply far too dangerous for someone like you to try to get into something like this.”

“I…I see.” Newton looked back down again, disappointment beginning to weigh down on him once again. Logically he knew exactly what they meant—he was only a civilian, from another world no less, and he knew that Larry at the very least wouldn’t do anything to risk his life. Even still, as he did his best to rationalize, his inner demons engaged with him in mental combat, persistent in their arguments that he was a useless man who broke everything he touched and couldn’t do anything right and deserved no mercy from anyone.

“…all I want is to help him,” he murmured, not even bothering to hide the remorse in his voice. “He looked so upset the other night, a-and…it pained me to see him like that…I just thought I could finally do right by him for once…”

Clive tilted his head, appearing to be confused. “Wait, so you _weren’t_ lying about you and Sackboy being friends?”  
  
“I understand your concerns, Clive,” the elder interjected, “but when they met the other day, Sackthing _did_ look pleased to see the lad.”

“If you say so,” Clive replied. “Didn’t seem that way when I mentioned him.”  
  
“Mention who…?” The conversation was getting harder for Newton to follow, but that was mainly due to him trying not to pay attention as soon as Clive brought up his suspicions.

“Nevermind that—for now, we can assure you that we have things under control,” Larry told him. “In any case, Sackthing isn’t joining us in our search today.”

“Wait…really? But he seemed so worried about…” The lightbulb-head trailed off in the middle of his sentence, in order to bring up a more pressing concern. “Then…where is he, might I ask?”  
  
“He’s spending the day at Eve’s Asylum for the Mentally Alternative.”  
  
Newton jumped a bit in slight alarm. “Asylum-?”

“He’s merely there to take these stressful matters off his mind for the time being,” Larry explained. “To rest and regain his strength for the next time he joins us. He’s in no severe danger, but I decided that it would be best for him, and the others seemed to agree with me.”

“ _I’m_ the one who suggested it though,” Clive muttered. “…nevermind.”

“Um, uh…” Newton fidgeted with his coat sleeves as he stared at Larry with a hopeful look in his eyes. “…would it be all right if I went over there? To visit him and see how he’s faring?”

Before Clive or Avalon could intervene with any more comments about strange lightbulb people suddenly showing up out of nowhere, Larry nodded in agreement. “I don’t see why not. You two seemed to be getting along swimmingly when I saw you last, and talking with a friend who has nothing to do with it all _could_ be good for him…I’ll provide you with directions and you can go over there whenever you wish.”  
  
Newton beamed in response, the hope of getting to help his sackchum through his troubles rising within him once again. “Splendid! Thank you so much, Pro—err, umm, uhh, Mr. Da Vinci!”  
  
“You’re welcome. Just be sure he’s taking caring of himself, won’t you?”  
  
And Newton’s dumb luck continues to continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a strange dream while this chapter was still in progress
> 
> I dreamt that Clive was dating both Eve and Avalon???
> 
> Undecided as to how I feel about that and even more so about whether or not I'm going to put that in here
> 
> Either way, Sackton is going to be the main focus of the story no matter what
> 
> ...when Sackton actually happens, that is
> 
> Also Pinky is not going in the tags just yet, I'm not counting dream sequence appearances here


	10. Wash your fears away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton and Sackboy hang out together in an underground pool to temporarily forget their worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next one are mainly going to focus on relationship-building stuff
> 
> Wholesome feels ahoy (I hope)
> 
> Not sure how I feel about how I'm writing Eve though

“So who _was_ that guy, anyway?” Avalon asked, a bit miffed at the fact that both Clive and Larry seemed to know something he didn’t.

“He said he was Sackboy’s best friend,” Clive answered with a shrug, “but as I said before, Sackboy didn’t look too happy when I mentioned him.”

“Are you sure about that?” Larry asked, looking slightly confused. “They arranged a meeting here two days ago, and they seemed to be getting along well enough. Not to mention, when I found Sackthing that night he was sleeping on that lightbulb lad’s lap...”

Clive’s eyes widened in bewilderment. “He did what...? But when I told him, he looked timid...like he was scared of the fellow or something.”

“If that guy’s really Slick’s best friend,” Avalon cut in, “then how come we haven’t seen him at all before now? Doesn’t that sound suspicious to you?”

“Yes, that’s right!” Clive perked up considerably at the vain man’s words. “See? Mr. Science agrees with me...that doesn’t happen a lot.”

“Clive, did he not tell you that he was from another world?” Larry asked him, raising a brow. “It must be a difficult commute to get from Craftworld to...the planet Pumpkin.”

“He said it was Bunkum...and he also said that he and Sackboy saved the planet together. But Sackboy’s never told us about that—err, in his own way, of course...”

“Well,” Larry mused, “perhaps it’s all too complicated for him to explain to us. But this Newton seems mostly harmless to me. I can only guess that they’ve already worked out whatever differences they had. If Sackthing needs any more help regarding that matter, I’m sure he’ll come to us.”

“Suppose,” the calendar man sighed, still skeptical but resigned to his colleague’s explanation.

————

After taking some time to make out the directions Larry had given him—Craftworld could be something of a labyrinth for people unfamiliar with it—Newton finally arrived at the asylum. He didn’t quite expect what he’d come to find, however. When he thought of hospitals, he usually pictured a place more cold and white and disturbingly clean. If he’d come here not knowing what it was, he would have thought it to be someone’s private, luxuriant garden.

Literally the only thing to indicate that he didn’t make a wrong turn was a woman just now walking into the area, with a bitten apple for a head inside a white cage with a red cross decorating the top.

“Ahem, um…excuse me, madam? You’re Miss Paragorica, aren’t you?”  
  
The woman seemed to be distracted, not looking in his direction and instead skimming through some sort of pamphlet. “I am she—Eve Silva Paragorica. Do you have an appointment with me?”  
  
“Well, no, I’m…I’m not a patient,” Newton stammered out, feeling oddly intimidated by the nurse. “I’ve come to visit a friend of mine, and I was told he might…be here…?”

Eve finally put down the pamphlet and looked his way, as if she were carefully analyzing him. “Oh, yes! I think Clive has mentioned you too. You are Newton, yes?”  
  
 _How many people has that calendar told about me?_ Newton couldn’t help but wonder before continuing. “Yes, I’m…Newton, madam. Um, _is_ Sackboy here?”

Eve nodded. “He has arrived not too long ago. He is currently testing out our new Healing Bath. I will bring you to him.”

Newton tensed up at the word “bath”, and his coat suddenly felt too warm for him as she moved to the other side of the room. “A-Are you sure we can do that? I—I-I wouldn’t want to invade his privacy—“

Eve rolled her eye, or at least as far as he could tell with her not facing him. “It is not that kind of bath, lightbulb man. We will be fine.”

She summoned an elevator and gestured for Newton to come inside before getting in herself, and once they were both in the elevator gently carried them both downward. Minus the asylum’s ambience and the soft noise from the machinery, the silence between them hung heavily in the air. Newton, having a strong intolerance for long and awkward silences, decided to speak up again.

“Ehrm, Nurse Paragorica? Do you know if Sackboy has been feeling well lately?”

“You can just call me Eve,” the nurse reassured him. “To tell the truth, the little one and I do not speak very much. The asylum has been busier recently, with more patients coming in…but I hear he has been going through excess stress the past couple days.”

“Oh, yes, I know about that.” He knew that Sackboy was scared to death for the sackbots’ safety. He knew that he had began to think of himself as useless due to being unable to rescue them right away. “I suppose what I’m really asking is…it’s hard for me to word it, but…do you know how he’s been holding up?”  
  
Eve turned to him with a look of uncertainty and concern. “Again, with business at the asylum taking up most of my time, I am unable to say. But if it is bad enough for them to send him into my care, I cannot tell you in good conscience that there is nothing to worry about.”

Alarm building up within his body, along with the new protective impulse he was becoming accustomed to, the inventor started babbling out whatever questions came into his mind. “Is—Is he a patient here? Did someone hurt him? Did he hurt himself? He hasn’t harmed himself, has he? He doesn’t seem like the type, but—“

“I believe these questions are becoming too personal,” Eve cut him off. And with that the conversation was over, shame hanging over Newton’s head from pushing boundaries too far.

The elevator stopped not a moment later, and Newton stepped out of it to find a lavish-looking pool with Sackboy floating on his back in the middle, clad in a striped swimsuit and pink pearl necklace. Even in his seemingly-relaxed state, however, he apparently heard them come in, as he opened his eyes and moved back to his normal position to wave at them.

“Hello again, little one,” Eve greeted him, returning the wave. “Your friend came here to see you—he seemed very anxious to talk to you again. Do you want him here?”

Sackboy nodded happily in response and Eve nodded in acknowledgement before turning to whisper into Newton’s ear.

“I do not think I have to tell you this, but if you do anything to hurt him you should know that I can go into peoples’ bodies.”

Newton gulped in fear, but he nodded and gave an exaggerated smile. “Oh, n-no need to think about that! Perish the thought! I wouldn’t dream of hurting my little chum!”  
  
That was the exact opposite of his intentions, so logically he had nothing to worry about, but even so he did not want to get on the bad side of the scariest nurse he had ever met.

“I am happy to hear it.” Eve went back over to the elevator, waving again before setting it to go back up. “You two have fun!”  
  
With that, the elevator doors closed, leaving the two of them alone together once again. Newton took off his boots, then walked over and sat down by the pool, one leg crossed over the other.

“Well, that was...certainly something,” he sighed, the panic adrenaline within him beginning to die down. “She’s quite the intense one, isn’t she?”

Sackboy shrugged in response before swimming up to the ledge Newton sat on, looking over at him with a curious expression.

Newton tilted his head, feeling slightly confused. “I...get the feeling you want to ask me something, old chum?”

Sackboy nodded. He pointed at him, then shivered exaggeratedly whilst making an alarmed expression before going back to his previous stance. The message was so obvious that Newton figured it out straightaway.

That didn’t mean he was going to acknowledge it, though. He was here to help Sackboy through his troubles, after all, and the last thing he wanted was to bother him any further with his own.

“Oh no, don’t worry!” he said cheerily. “I’m not cold at all!”

The silent one immediately responded with a pout, narrowing his eyes as if to say “You know what I’m talking about and don’t pretend that you don’t!” It was rather adorable, and Newton emitted a soft chuckle before turning his thoughts to yesterday’s conversation.

“...are you sure you really want to know?”

Sackboy nodded, crossing his arms over the edge of the pool and resting his head on them. He looked ready enough to listen, and he seemed very insistent on doing so, and so Newton decided to proceed.

“Well, if it’s really okay with you...” he began before releasing a shaky breath. “...there are some things going on back at home that I’ve been...just a teensy bit nervous about.”

————

Sackboy listened intently as Newton vented out his frustrations and worries from Bunkum, giving the occasional nod when it looked like the inventor was checking to see if he was still following along. As he heard him out, it became more understandable as to why he was acting jumpier today. After all, it was only natural that there would still be some thick tension in Bunkum right now, with all the damage Newton had created while under the Titans’ control.

  
“I can’t even escape it in my dreams,” he heard him lament. “Just last night I had this terrible dream in which the queen of Bunkum Lagoon was cooking me alive! I have no doubts that she would try that in reality as well…”

Sackboy reached up to pat Newton’s arm in reassurance, giving him a calm yet somewhat teasing smile. He knew full well how scary Pinky could be, still feeling chills go up his spine at the memory of her threatening to turn him into a scarf, but with how little she’d actually done (that he could see at any rate), he was under the impression that she was all talk, and most of that talk mainly came from her anger in the midst of the disaster.

“You may think it’s silly,” Newton huffed, “but I just _know_ she’s made a large list of inventive methods to bring me to my demise. That woman is out for blood, I can feel it in my bulb.”

Sackboy rolled his eyes at his friend’s dramatics, though in secret he had to admit that he wouldn’t put it past her either. He pulled himself out of the pool to sit next to Newton and placed an arm around his shoulders, offering him comfort in his time of need. He was rewarded for his kind gesture with a grateful smile.

“Thank you, dear chum,” said the lightbulb-head, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry to complain so much and interrupt your fun. This was supposed to be your day off to help you be rid of your stress and here I am wearing you down with my worries agaaaaAAIN! Whoooaaahh-!!”

In the time it took for him to say this, Sackboy went back into the water and pulled him in along with him, the bowler hat flying off his head and landing by the elevator.

As he waited for Newton to regain his composure and get a breath in, the realization hit him about how reckless his impulsive decision truly was. He just thought that since the water—or whatever might have been mixed into the water—was making him feel more tranquil, there was a chance it would have made Newton feel better too, but in the rush to act on this idea he didn’t even consider how it could have gone wrong.

The taller of the two was now completely soaked and he seemed to be a bit disoriented. Sackboy was thinking of how to apologize to him when he heard him speak up again.

“Oh, wow…this is…this water feels _amazing!_ ”

A wide smile overtook Newton’s expression—not one of sadness nor one that seemed faked to dismiss any worry, a warm and genuine smile—as he started to dance and splash around in the pool. “Aaahaha…I feel so refreshed…so energized! I feel like I could lift the entire manor with one hand—no, one finger!”

Sackboy pressed both his hands to his mouth, doing his best to stifle his fit of giggles at Newton’s sudden excitement. He hoped to himself that he wouldn’t have heard anything in his new state of bliss, but judging by how happy he looked he had the feeling that he didn’t need to worry too much about it.

He then decided to sneak up on Newton while he was distracted, and he sent a small splash of water his way, getting a yelp out of him.

Newton quickly turned around to face the knitted one, grinning incredulously. “Did _you_ do that? You sneaky little mischief-maker!” In retaliation he made a larger splash, causing an abundance of water droplets to scatter all over Sackboy’s face.

Laughter bubbled up within him again, threatening to escape any second, and in a desperate effort to restrain the sound he swam down underwater, hiding away and holding his breath.

“Ohhhh, no! You’re not going to escape from me that easily!” he heard Newton call out to him from above the water.

He could see his friend’s glowing face above him, and the anxieties he previously had about pulling him in came back. Maybe the rest of his body wasn’t powered by electricity, but his head definitely was. He knew that Newton was the type of person to take extreme risks (well, half the time anyway, the other half he was allergic to extreme risks), so he hoped he wouldn’t take it this time.

To his surprise, he felt a soft fabric wrap around him, and he recognized the shade of purple that made up the fluff of his coat. He squirmed for a moment before giving up as his struggles proved pointless. He then felt the coat, and himself along with it, being lifted up above the water, and once out of it he saw Newton holding the coat by its sleeves, a triumphant grin on his face.

“I’ve caught you!” he announced before leaning in as if getting a closer look. “Hmm, you feel incredibly light…although you’re probably heavier now with all the water soaked into you. I wonder how light you feel when you’re dry…?”  
  
Sackboy repressed a flustered groan as he felt his face heat up, and he quickly escaped from the confines of the coat and back to the solace of the water in order to keep Newton from analyzing him further.

The next hour or so went on in this manner—the two of them kept playing in the Healing Bath, Sackboy evading Newton’s capture whilst they both made sure the latter’s head wouldn’t duck underwater at any point— until they were tired and somewhat chilly. They climbed out of the pool, and in doing so Sackboy took note of Newton’s awkward expression.

  
“Ah, dear chum? I apologize for asking so much of you, but…you wouldn’t happen to have a change of clothes by any chance, would you? I’m afraid my clothes are completely drenched…”

Sackboy nodded with an apologetic expression, then opened his Popit, displaying his vast assortment of outfits to choose from. After looking through it for a minute Newton selected the Count Sackula-styled jacket and cloak, which appeared folded neatly in his arms not a moment later. Once the Popit was put away the stitched one looked around for some sort of changing room, finding a few doors with unisex symbols on them. He pointed at the doors, and after nodding to each other in agreement, the two of them went to dry off and put on new clothes.

————

Newton left the changing room after not too long, still getting used to the feel of the jacket he was wearing. Sackboy’s clothes seemed a bit tight on him, as well as a bit short, but it was manageable. And anyway, even if they had felt like they were suffocating him, he wouldn’t have dared to complain about it—Sackboy was kind enough to let him borrow them, after all. He was kind enough to do quite a lot of things.

He only had to wait a short while before Sackboy emerged from the changing room after him, still wearing the necklace but now also wearing a polkadot black dress with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. Apparently a lot of water had seeped into his yarn, as he was now using a hairdryer from the room to dry himself off. Once he turned it off the yarn holding him together seemed to fluff up, making him look somewhat fuzzier than normal.

Newton couldn’t help but snicker at the sight of this, and Sackboy pouted at him again, a faint pink blush decorating his cheeks. The expression only made him laugh even more.

“S-Sorry, old chum…you just, how do I put it—you look so adorable like that!”

The smaller one rolled his eyes, but a shy smile crept up onto his face as he did so, indicating that he wasn’t really mad at him. Once Newton regained his composure he walked up closer. “Well, I’ve still got plenty of time before I need to head back home. Is there anything you’d like to do now?”

Sackboy nodded before reaching into himself and pulling out a picture of some sort of cake.

“Ah, in the mood for sweets, are you?” Newton beamed. “Well, knowing you, you surely know the perfect place. Lead the way!”  
  
He didn’t need to tell him twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean they're still not boyfriends yet?!?!?!??!
> 
> I had another ClivexAvalon (Centriforth? Handifuge???) dream I think but annoyingly my brain decided to forget everything that happened
> 
> Decide what you want already, stupid brain


	11. Bittersweet memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy and Newton head off to Victoria's in pursuit of sweets, but Sackboy realizes a mistake he might have made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I went through this one rather quickly
> 
> I guess I just really wanted to get it written?
> 
> I hope this doesn't seem rushed or anything, I wanted to get the emotions out, and I didn't want to leave it in the middle of a sad moment

Newton wasn’t quite sure where he’d expected Sackboy to take him. And yet, much like with every other place he went to on his visits to Craftworld, he was left breathless by the sight of their destination. He couldn’t help it, really—everywhere he’d been to here so far seemed so grand and extraordinary, and this area was no exception.

It looked somewhat similar to the asylum, with its elegance and flowers adorned every way he looked, but unlike the asylum it had something of a gothic atmosphere to it, with the wrought iron fences and steampunk-fashioned machinery. The air smelled strongly of sugary pastries fresh from the oven, and he could tell right away why this was his quiet friend’s go-to place for sweets.

Someone must have known they were coming, because right as he was done looking at his surroundings, he heard the sound of footsteps quickly approaching them.

“Ah, good day to you, Sackthing!” a feminine voice called to them. “I didn’t know if you’d be coming, so you must excuse the mess. Well, it always seems to be a mess anyhow…”

“It looks just fine to me,” Newton murmured as the source came into view, a blonde woman with a mechanical-looking body who he felt as though he’d seen before.

“Oh, you’ve brought a friend!” the woman said. She turned to Newton with a welcoming smile before it faded into a look of surprise. “Wait a moment…it can’t be…”

Newton noticed Sackboy look at him, head tilted in confusion, but his own mind was too busy coping with the incoming anxiety to give him any sort of answer. “Ehrm…have we met, madam?”  
  
The woman put her robotic hands together, eyebrows raised in realization. “You’re Newton Pud, aren’t you!”

Newton’s posture went stiff. He was getting used to people around Craftworld knowing his _first_ name, with that Handforth man telling everyone about him. But he’d never given anyone his surname. Trying to ignore the possibility that news of the Titans incident might have spread, he thought back to the only people here who could have known his name beforehand—

—those two people being Sackboy and Larry Da Vinci.

_…oh. Oh dear._

“It _is_ you!” the woman exclaimed, a confident smile crossing her face. “At last, I’m right about something! When Clive mentioned Sackboy meeting a friend named Newton, I didn’t expect—“

“All right, how many people has that calendar-head been gossiping with about me?!” Newton blurted out in his fit of embarrassment and shock.

Silence filled the air as his words hung above them. The woman looked a tad confused, while Sackboy seemed confused and panicked. Upon seeing that look on the knitted one’s face, Newton soon came to regret letting that outburst slip.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “It’s just…strange, is all.”

“Oh, excuse me,” the woman said softly, seemingly taken aback by the response. “My name is Victoria von Bathysphere. I didn’t mean to frighten you—it’s a pleasure, really.”

“Do you…work alongside Mr. Da Vinci?” Newton asked, lowering his voice to an acceptable volume.

Victoria nodded. “We work together in the Alliance to fight off threats to Craftworld—perhaps you’ve heard of it? Sackboy here’s a part of it too…” She gestured towards Sackboy, who gave a shy smile in response that didn’t last more than a second. “…and we’re also professors of Popit Academy. I know Larry had a student named Newton, but you probably wouldn’t remember me if you weren’t in any of my classes.”

“I see…” So _someone_ here knew of one of his greatest past failures. Relieving as it might have been that no one here knew of his possession just yet, having the humiliation of the memory float back to the front of his mind didn’t feel much better. “…he…didn’t go into further detail about that, did he?”  
  
“…he told me his student had flunked out.”

Newton looked down at the ground, wanting nothing more than to hide himself away from the world for the rest of his life. It was difficult enough for him to face these sorts of memories, but to have to do it in front of his close friend _and_ in front of the colleague of his former professor…it was becoming too overwhelming for him to handle.

Victoria must have noticed his discomfort, as he felt his head being lifted by his chin to meet her eyes, which held a certain kindness within them.

“Well, let’s not worry about that. Larry always tells me everyone’s got ten thousand bad inventions in them…and he’s also said that anyone is welcome to repeat their courses, as many times as they need to!”  
  
Newton found her words slightly reassuring, but even so he felt unsettled. The idea of second chances was comforting to him, but he could always feel any label given to him hang heavy around his neck when it was brought up again. “Ah, um…hmm…”

“Tell you what,” said Victoria, placing a hand on him and Sackboy’s shoulders. “Let’s forget about that for now and start from the beginning, hmm? We’ll bake something together and enjoy it afterwards. Do you both feel up to it?”  
  
Newton nodded, eager for any kind of distraction. He looked to his side to see Sackboy nod as well, but he noticed there was something off about his expression—his eyes looked somewhat dull, and the smile he had on seemed halfhearted.

_Maybe I’ll ask him about it when we’re alone,_ he thought. _He probably wouldn’t appreciate feeling so vulnerable in public._

————

They’d decided on making chocolate macaroons, something easy for two baking amateurs to help the baketress with. Sackboy immediately volunteered to gather the necessary ingredients, and when Victoria gave him the go-ahead he hurried away to the pantry with the list she handed to him.

_Egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar, ganache…_

He started climbing up the shelves that towered over whoever entered the room, tucking the list into his dress as he looked around for the various sugars required. All throughout his search he hoped that keeping himself focused would have provided an adequate distraction from what happened earlier.

But no matter how much concentration he put into looking for ingredients, and no matter how much he tried to picture in his mind just how scrumptious the macaroons would be, the attempt at distraction did him no good.

When he made his first trip back over to the kitchen he could see Newton and Victoria standing by the counter, both looking as if they’d been waiting for him. Somehow the idea of that made him feel even worse.

“You seem a bit slower on your feet than usual,” Victoria mused with a lighthearted giggle. “I was just about to send Newton after you.”

Sackboy gave his friends an apologetic smile before carefully placing the ingredients he held onto the counter.

“If you need any help carrying things, I’m sure Newton wouldn’t mind coming along with you.” The baketress turned to Newton. “You _wouldn’t_ mind assisting Sackthing, would you?”  
  
The lightbulb-head gave a bright smile. “Not at all, Miss von Bathysphere! I’ve been meaning to talk with Sackboy about something anyhow—“  
  
Sackboy shook his head vigorously in disagreement, earning puzzled expressions from the two of them. He quickly gave a thumbs-up, trying to indicate that he’d be fine bringing things back by himself, and then scurried away back to the pantry before they could stop him.

After a couple more trips to and from the pantry, the three of them got to preparing the dessert. Throughout the procedure Sackboy held back from the conversation, not daring to make eye contact with either of his companions and keeping his gaze locked on his own part of the work. He could hear them talking but he paid no mind to what exactly they were saying, his mind barely even registering the gaps in their discussion.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to him, the macaroons were finished and ready to enjoy. But still, even after they sat down to eat, he didn’t have much of an appetite. He didn’t really have much of anything other than the regretful thoughts that lingered in his head.

_Newton’s going through bad memories because of me…what was I thinking? I’m so stupid, I should have—I—I should have—_

Annoyingly enough, nothing came to mind when he tried to think about what he should have done.

“Hello? Sackthing?”

Sackboy jolted out of the trance he was in to look at his friends, who were both now looking at him with concerned expressions written on their features.

“You’ve hardly touched yours,” Victoria noted. “Are they not to your liking?”

Sackboy gave a thumbs-up and a weak smile again, his heart sinking further into his stomach as he realized just how much he’d worried her. _I should’ve thought about how she’d react to me not eating, I’m such an IDIOT—_

He was once again pulled out of his bad thoughts by the feeling of someone grabbing his hand. He looked over to see Newton holding it, now stood up from his seat. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Miss von Bathysphere? I think we need to talk now.”

Victoria barely answered affirmatively before he rushed off to the pantry, dragging the silent one behind him. Once they were alone, Newton allowed a serious expression to cross his face, not taking his eyes off of Sackboy for a nanosecond.

“Now what’s wrong, dear chum?” he asked, voice thick with concern.

Sackboy shook his head, but any and all attempts he’d made to hide how he felt fell away instantly. Against his wishes he knew that not even Newton would fall for it, and he was correct.

“No, I know something’s wrong,” Newton insisted, grabbing his other hand. “You’ve been looking so unhappy ever since…” His voice trailed off in the middle of his sentence, and his eyes widened in realization. “…oh…”  
  
He looked down at his boots for a moment as if he were contemplating something, then looked back up to face Sackboy, worry clear in his eyes. “I—I’m so sorry you had to see that, chum, I—I-I didn’t mean to start a fight or anything, especially not with your friends! It’s just that I remembered something close to home, and, well…”

Sackboy looked down at the floor as he listened, hands beginning to tremble as his remorse continued to well up within him. _First I get him to remember something bad, then I get him and Victoria worried about me, and THEN I make him feel guilty for my getting upset, I’m such a bad friend and an idiot, why does anyone bother staying with me—_

“Oh, Sackboy…” He was suddenly pulled into Newton’s arms, and he tried his hardest to get a hold of himself as he felt his friend’s hands move across his back in comforting motions. “Sackboy, I’m sorry…I know you hate watching people fight. I should have handled that situation with more grace…”

Sackboy forced himself out of the lightbulb-head’s hug and rubbed his eyes, making sure no tears were leaking out of them. He then opened himself up and searched inside, luckily finding a pen and some paper after a bit of fiddling, and wrote his message down.

_i’m so sorry_

_i had no idea what was going on_

_I didn’t know you went to the academy_

_I didn’t think anyone would recognize you_

_i didnt mean to embarrass you i promise im sorry_

Newton, who was apparently reading the words as Sackboy was writing them, pulled the paper out of his hands and patted his shoulder with his free hand. “That wasn’t your fault, dear chum. None of this is, you couldn’t have known what was going on.”

Sackboy sniffed and shook his head before ducking it downward. It made sense to him logically, but the guilt he felt from causing their worry and confusion would not relent.

He felt Newton’s hand grab the side of his face and pull it upward, and he had no choice but to lock eyes with him again. “I’m serious. You haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m not angry or upset with you at all. Yes, the memories weren’t exactly pleasant, and I _was_ caught off-guard, but none of that’s your fault. I promise you that.”

The smaller of the two looked him in the eye with a doubtful expression, trying to convey the question of “are you sure?” to him.

“I promise. You had no way of knowing. You have nothing to apologize for.” Newton’s hands left his face and shoulder, only for one of them to hold onto his own again as he gave him a soft smile. “Now then, what say we go back outside? Those sweets aren’t going to eat themselves, you know.”

Sackboy nodded, still feeling out of sorts but at this point wanting to put it past them. If Newton really forgave him, then there was nothing else to really do about it.

“Right then, let’s go!”

———

“—uuuaaaAAAA—! Oomf…”

Shakily bringing himself back up to his feet, Newton swore he would never get used to that.

The outing came to a close without any further incident, sweet cravings satisfied and hungers put to rest. They made sure to go back to the asylum afterwards to pick up hi regular clothes, which had spent the time they were out drying in the changing room. He might have been foolish as they come, but even he knew he’d be found out immediately if he was found without his normal attire.

Newton looked up to observe the clock hung on the wall. Fortunately there was still an hour or so before dinnertime, so that gave him a decent amount of time to make room for it. He knew he’d been risky about this lately, but he made certain to keep _some_ precautions in mind to avoid suspicion.

He shrugged his coat off of his shoulders, and in doing so he heard what sounded like paper crinkling inside of one of the pockets. Curious to see what could have been inside, he reached in and pulled out a sheet of paper, with what appeared to be a letter written hastily upon it.

_Hello Newton—_

_Sorry again about bringing up bad memories and making you worry about stuff_

_I hope you still had fun today because I had fun_

_I think hanging out with you more has been good for me_

_I hope it’s been good for you too!_

_I left directions to my pod and a code for if you ever wanna message me about anything_

_If you don’t then that’s okay, I just wanted to incase you were interested or wanted to save trouble_

_And I hope things go well with you and your dad and the other people in Bunkum  
I’m sure they will but I’m gonna wish you luck anyway!_

_See you soon (hopefully)!_

_—Sackboy_

On the other side of the letter were the aforementioned directions and code, along with a drawing of a triumphant-looking Newton, with Sackboy off to the side cheering him on, poms in his hands.

A strange, warm feeling surged within his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba-bump, ba-bump... (???)


	12. Sleepwalking?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy finds something important in his pod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmghh I'm still unsure about how I'm writing the Alliance members but I'm doing my best here
> 
> I wanted to put Higginbotham in this chapter but I don't know how to write him yet
> 
> Oh well, perhaps another time

Sackboy’s slumber was cut short by the sound of a high-pitched whirring. He slowly brought himself to a sitting position, squinting as he looked around the room. Minus the glow of the LED signs hanging above, the pod was darkened to the point where he could only make out the shapes of things inside.

Still quite groggy, he was just about to chalk it up to something happening in his dreams when he heard a familiar squeaking in front of him. He turned to look at the source of the noise, a shadow with a blocky head and a mechanical-looking body.

That’s when it hit him.

Exhaustion forgotten, Sackboy leapt out of bed to get a closer look. Upon closer inspection, the figure looked more and more familiar, from the shape of it to the continuous, robotic squeaking noises it made. He perked up at the thought—was this one of the missing sackbots?

Something seemed odd, however. Normally the sackbots would have some sort of symbol lit up in their eyes. But this one’s eyes were completely blank, like a computer screen that had just been powered off.

He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of something tugging on his arm. He looked down to see that the sackbot was grabbing it, pulling as if it were trying to lead him somewhere. Given that this was the original, more basic model, it didn’t have much going for it, not even enough strength to drag him alongside it.

The sackbot pointed at one of the windows, and its message was understandable enough to Sackboy—it wanted to go outside. Sackboy shrugged in acceptance--even though it was around 3 AM, it would have been best for him to bring this sackbot back to the factory anyhow.

He went up to the pod computer with the sackbot in tow and set up the coordinates for the factory, making sure the sackbot was still holding onto him before he entered in the action and teleported them both. But another thing struck him as strange as they proceeded towards the building. It wasn’t too noticeable as it hardly hindered him in walking to the door, but it did seem as though the sackbot was trying to lead him into the opposite direction.

Paying that detail no mind for now, he knocked on the factory’s front door, and not a second later he was greeted by Clive, a nightcap atop his calendar head.

“Sackboy? What are you doing here at this time of night—“ Clive cut himself off as he looked at what was behind Sackboy, his doodled eyes widening. “—oh! You found one of them...?”

Sackboy nodded and tried to move the sackbot in front of him to show it more clearly. The sackbot refused to move or let go, still trying to pull him away from the door to who-knows-where.

“Oh...it seems awfully frightened.” Clive frowned as he leaned in to look it over more closely. “Poor thing must’ve had a traumatic experience...”

“Hey! What’s going on over there?” Sackboy heard Avalon’s voice coming from further back in the room, and soon the orange-haired man appeared right behind Clive, wearing a fancy-looking robe over a pajama set. “Oh, hey Slick. Why’re you here so late?”

“Sackboy found one of the missing sackbots, it looks like,” Clive explained.

_Well, less me finding it and more it finding me,_ Sackboy thought to himself, choosing not to ask why Avalon was at Clive’s factory in the middle of the night.

“We should call the others here,” the calendar man suggested.

“Why?” Avalon asked. “You’ve got the great Avalon Centrifuge to look the thing over! Besides, they’re probably not gonna show up here this late at night.”

“Still,” Clive insisted. “They’ll want to know…better safe than sorry, right Sackboy?”  
  
Sackboy nodded in agreement. Just one sackbot somehow ending up in his pod might not have been that urgent of an issue, but they’d never know for certain if there was more than what was on the surface if they didn’t take a deeper look into it. And the more eyes to look into it, the more information they’d be able to gather.

“Well, all right,” Avalon relented, his tone haughtier than usual.. “If you both _really_ think it’s necessary, then I’ll allow it, being the gracious genius that I am.”

————

The other Alliance members didn’t take too long to arrive at the factory, albeit they all showed up in their nightclothes and not one of them seemed entirely awake—at least until they had seen the sackbot, still tugging at Sackboy’s hoodie sleeves and trying in vain to move him towards the doorway.

“All right, that’s enough of that,” Clive mumbled as he pulled the sackbot away from Sackboy. The sackbot responded to this by incessantly squirming about and making loud, pitiful squeaking noises, reaching its arms to try and grab the silent hero again.

  
“The poor little thing,” Victoria sighed. “I haven’t seen one look anywhere near as restless since they were rescued from the Negativatron…”

“I say,” said Larry, moving forward to get a better look at the bot, “what’s happened to its eyes? You normally give them those sign whatchamacallits, don’t you, Clive?”  
  
Clive nodded. “They’re supposed to indicate their programming…hearts for when they’re friendly, warnings for when they’re defensive, both when they’re on standby…but I’ve never seen them like this, at least when they’re not in sleep mode…” He looked up at the ceiling, eyes now filled with worry and guilt. “Ohh, no…what if being in this old, gloomy factory for so long’s sucked all the hope out of them? They tried to escape and flee to Sackboy to save themselves, but it was too late…” He looked back down at the floor, downcast. “…now they’re back here, doomed…never to feel happiness again…”

Eve grabbed and squeezed Clive’s wrist. “There, there, calendar man. You are just being silly now.”

“It’s more likely that they _are_ in sleep mode,” Larry deduced. “Mayhap they’ve got some sort of malfunction in their programming that makes them amble about aimlessly during sleep mode.”

“But Sackboy found this one in his room,” Clive protested. “I…don’t think it’d be easy to get there just by walking aimlessly.”

“You know how clingy they get when it comes to the kid,” Avalon retorted nonchalantly. “If you’re determined enough, you’ll find what you’re looking for—just ask yours truly.”

“So then,” Larry spoke up, clearing his throat to regain everyone’s attention, “if my hypothesis is correct, the other sackbots must still be wandering around somewhere in Craftworld, unaware of their surroundings. In order to catch them, we should gather and begin a search tomorrow first thing in the—“ He then looked over at a nearby clock, reminding himself just how early it was. “—tomorrow evening. Perhaps around 5 o’clock?”  
  
“In twelve hours time,” Avalon bellowed in his dramatic tone, “we shall meet in the glorious halls of Avalonia. We will dine together with anticipation growing in our hearts and power growing in our brains, and then I will lead us through a triumphant search!”

“Avalon, is this really the time for that?” Larry grumbled, the irritation of waking up at an ungodly hour _and_ listening to one of the man of science’s speeches starting to kick in. “And I never said anything about dining…though I suppose we _will_ need something to give us the energy required to pull this off…”  
  
Sackboy hopped up from where he was sitting, beaming with excitement, and the elder continued on, ignoring Avalon’s smug expression. “Well, then…after we eat, we’ll split up and search through different areas for any trace of the sackbots. A couple of us should be here though, to analyze this traumatized sackbot we have here already and keep an eye out in case the others come here. Perhaps Clive and Victoria could do the honors?”  
  
“Oh, sure,” Clive answered, sounding sincere despite his pessimistic tone. “I won’t be much good at searching anyway.”

“Does that sound all right to you, my sweet creme caramel?” Larry asked Victoria.

“It sounds just fine, Larry,” Victoria replied, still oblivious to the bearded man’s flirting much to Sackboy’s discontent.

“Very well! Then it’s settled—we’ll go over to Avalonia at 5 PM sharp! You are all dismissed for now.”

————

The first rays of daylight were beginning to peek through the pod’s windows when Sackboy returned home. Despite this, being back in his usual cozy setting made his previous sleepiness from a few hours before slowly return to his body once more. He laid himself down, huddling up to the flamethrower cat when he heard a noise come from his pod computer.

_Probably just Larry sending everyone a reminder…but he’s not that good with messaging, so maybe not…_

Weary but curious, Sackboy crawled out from his sleeping arrangement and went over to the pod computer, taken by surprise when he read the message.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Hello again, dear chum!_

_I know it’s still quite early, but I haven’t been able to get back to sleep so here I am!  
How are things with you over there?_

A smile crept up on Sackboy’s face as he read through the message. The responsible side of him told him that he really should have been getting back to sleep, but he was just too excited now. _The meeting’s not until 5 anyway, so I’ll still have time to catch up on sleep._

And so he quickly typed in his reply:

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Hi Newton!!!!_

_I hadto wake up super early today for alliance stuff but i’m good!_

_How about you? Are you ok?_

Not a minute later, he received a reply. Newton must have been faster on his fingers than he thought.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Glad to hear you’re doing well!_

_“Alliance stuff”, hmm? Now I’m curious..._

_I’m all right, all things considered. My papa actually told us at dinner that Bunkum’s repairs are done, and we’ll be heading off to Manglewood tomorrow._

_So I’m just a bit nervous about that..._

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Noooo I can’t tell you about it! It’s top secret... >:I ...jk_

_we just found one of the sackbots today and now were planning how to find the others_

_Oh cool!!! Im happy that Bunkum’s all better now!!_

_Dont be nervous, Marlon is really cool ^__^_

_Say hi to him and Oddsock for me if you see him?_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Well, that’s good news! I know you’ve been in quite a panic ever since they vanished..._

_To tell you the truth, Marlon Random is the least of my worries. What I’m REALLY nervous about is when we eventually go to Bunkum Lagoon..._

_Oh! That reminds me—didn’t you and the 3 heroes go to Craftworld together? What happened there?_

Thinking about that again felt strange to Sackboy. In all honesty, thinking about any of the events that occurred four months ago felt strange to him. As much as he enjoyed their company, he hadn’t expected the three heroes to come with him, and he’d expected them staying with him even less. As it turned out they _couldn’t_ stay with him—they were Bunkum’s legendary heroes, after all, and with the planet being on a higher alert ever since the Titans’ incident they needed to go back to work in guarding it, helping win its recovery and raising the morale of its residents.

Of course, Sackboy fully understood, and he wished them all the best. He needed to have some moments to himself at times anyway. But that didn’t mean he didn’t miss the three of them like crazy.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_they needed to go back home_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_You don’t sound pleased to say that... (well, more “look” than “sound” since we’re writing these, but you know)_

_You miss them, don’t you?_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_yeah...i miss them alot_

_But i know they have things they gotta do_

Sackboy looked over the message before sending it, but it looked a bit too minuscule for his liking. Newton was opening up to him quite a bit, wouldn’t it be unfair of him not to do the same? He still wasn’t one-hundred perent certain of the inventor’s true intentions but even so, he wanted to believe in him.

He added more to his message and pressed the send button.

_I guess its just been awhile since i had a friend_

_I mean the alliance are my friends but they always feel like they’re on a different level than me_

_like they all knew eachother longer than i knew any of them and theyve all been in the alliance longer_

_I just dont think ive ever really connected with anyone_

He rested his head on his hand, narrowing his eyes at the screen. _Great. Now it looks too lengthy._ Not that it really mattered—it was already sent, after all.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_I see...that does sound troublesome._

_I think I’ve dealt with similar feelings before, to be honest. But probably slightly different from yours._

_Whenever I’m out and about in Bunkum, I always tend to feel so...below everyone. Obviously this isn’t the same as your problem—you’re just as gifted, if not more than your friends, than anyone I’ve met before (except for Papa, of course). No one looks down on you._

_Maybe that’s why I always feign confidence and act like I’m the most intelligent person in the Imagisphere...faking it until I make it, I suppose._

_ANYWAY—enough of my blathering, my point is I know how it feels to not quite fit in with people. But I think that you’re incredible, and anyone who’s friends with you is the luckiest person to exist._

_I know that I’M grateful to be your friend, and…I don’t know if it means anything, but I feel like I’ve connected with you. :)_

Sackboy jumped up a bit where he was sitting. Throughout most of the message his heart had been beating at a steady pace, but the last sentence caused it to hammer like mad against the walls of his torso.

_To: Newton Pud  
From: Sackboy_

_……..wait really???_

_I feel like we’ve connected too…you’re sure???_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Of course, chum! In fact, I daresay we’re becoming the very best of friends!  
I mean…do you think so too?_

How odd. For some reason, Sackboy couldn’t stop smiling.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Sure!! ^____^ We’re best friends forever now!_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!  
I should really at least try to get back to sleep now, seeing as Papa’s going to wake me up early for our trip…but I’m glad I got to talk with you tonight! (Or this morning? Hard to say around this time.)_

_Talk to you again soon?_  
  
To: Newton Pud

_From: Sackboy_

_Yeah that sounds good! I should probably get more sleep too since were doing another search tomorrow_

_Talk to you later!! Have sweet dreams!!!_

After sending the final message, Sackboy went back to his bed. It was difficult for him to pinpoint exactly why, but he felt positively elated at this moment.

But the why of it didn’t really matter to him, as long as whatever it was wouldn’t end anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump... (???????)


	13. Take two, and action!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton and his father set off for Manglewood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marlon's here, Marlon's here, Marlon's here, Marlon's here -tosses confetti-

“Are you ready to leave now, son?”  
  
Newton nodded, trying to keep the nerves he felt from showing on his face. “Yes, I’m ready now, Papa.”

“That’s a good lad.” Captain Pud approached the ladder that dangled from the airship’s entrance, then turned to look at Nana Pud, who waited on the roof with them to see them off. “We’ll return home safely in three days time!”  
  
“You better! Whoever gets in the way of that will have me to answer to!” Nana Pud meant this in a playful way and they knew it, but they also knew well of her ability to create mechanical monsters out of tinpots that could give even the most hardhearted intruders nightmares. “You two be careful out there—especially you, Newty!”  
  
“Oh, I will! Don’t worry about a thing, Mumsy!” Newton called back to her in his most reassuring voice, although coming from him it might have only sounded half as reassuring.

The two lightbulb-heads climbed up the ladder to the airship, Newton following his father’s lead, and once they were situated inside Captain Pud made his way over to the airship’s computer. “I’ll just notify Marlon that we’re on our way, and then we’ll take off.”  
  
At that moment, Newton remembered something—he didn’t close the chat between him and Sackboy before turning off the computer last night, did he?  
  
“Wh-Wh-Why don’t you let _me_ do it, Papa?” he asked, putting on his winning smile and doing his best to keep the tremble out of his voice. “Th-That way, you can go ahead and get the airship flying! And, and—it’ll help me improve on communication tactics and…things.”

His father gave him a brief look of suspicion, before nodding in response. “Very well, if you think you can handle it. But no more sending out pranks to everyone, you hear?”

“Yes, yes of course! Wouldn’t dream of it!” Newton beamed, a heavy wave of relief washing over him.

Once Captain Pud went over to the control panel up front, Newton hurried off to the airship computer, and all he could think about was how horrible things would get when his luck would eventually run out. He turned on the computer and lo and behold the message window was still there. He closed the chat from the previous night and promptly wrote a new message to Marlon.

_To: Marlon Random_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Good day to you! This is Newton Pud. My father, the great legendary Captain Pud, and I are on our way to meet you in Manglewood right now to sort things out._

_I hope we can work out a truce, and I promise I will do my best to make things better. We will see you soon!_

_-Newton Pud_

Right as he sent the message, Newton let out a yelp as he tumbled out of his seat and into the air, a usual occurrence whenever the airship prepared for departure. He managed to get ahold of his composure once again after a minute or so laying haplessly on the floor, though he did make sure to get back on his feet (or at least, the best he could while his head was swimming in dizziness and his legs felt wobblier than a century old table caught in a whirlwind) so as not to miss the view from the window during takeoff.

No matter how many times he’d been there to see it, watching the Peaks grow smaller and the clouds grow thicker would never cease to amaze him, and even with the hardened front his father would put on, he could tell he felt the same way—though he did make it quite obvious when he would holler triumphantly as they flew.

“Now then, off to Manglewood we go!”

Newton felt his nerves dive into his stomach, his intestines tying themselves up in knots, which he normally would have dismissed as a bout of motion sickness had he not already known how anxious he was about this. He sat down near the computer and took a few deep breaths, trying to rid himself of the overwhelming dizzy feeling and calm himself down. His hands, desperate for occupation, roamed around in his coat pockets until they ran into a piece of paper.

The inventor pulled out the paper and looked it over, his anxieties temporarily forgotten as he remembered the context.

The triumphant Newton and the cheerleading Sackboy.

Newton clutched the paper in his hands as if he were holding onto the whole world, staring at it intently like it was going to come to life at any second. As far as he was concerned, that paper was the only thing besides himself that existed in that moment. Not just because it was keeping his mind away from the thoughts of his impending doom—although that’s exactly what it was doing—but also something about it was making his heart go around in circles inside his chest.

He flipped the paper over to reread the letter, hoping that it would bring his excitement down just a little.

_I hope things go well with you and your dad and the other people in Bunkum  
I’m sure they will but I’m gonna wish you luck anyway!_

That made him feel better, somewhat. Even though Sackboy seemed very much like a naïve sort of person, if he believed in him that much there really shouldn’t be anything to worry about, should there?

_That—That’s right,_ Newton thought to himself. _He may be innocent and a tad too trusting and idealistic, I really should accept the word of my...best friend..._

It still felt unreal to him, that there was someone he could call by such a title, let alone someone so amazing. It didn’t feel like he was taking pity on him either—it seemed like he was genuinely willing to be best friends with him.

_I hope you still had fun today because I had fun_

_I think hanging out with you more has been good for me_

_I hope it’s been good for you too!_

A smile began to spread across Newton’s face as he repeatedly read those specific few lines. Knowing that Sackboy had had as much fun as he did, the idea that them spending time with one another was beneficial to his knitted friend…

_Yes, dear chum…I think it’s done me plenty of good._

Even still, something inside of him felt off. It felt as though the title of “best friends” wasn’t enough for him. But when he thought of it like that, it sounded quite greedy. He felt that he should have been grateful for Sackboy being there for him at all, and that he couldn’t possibly ask for more after he’d already been given so much.

_And—And—! And besides…we’re already best friends now. What more is there that I could ask of him…?_

He felt the floor rock beneath him again, but this time it was much gentler than before, a sign that the airship had come to a halt and they were preparing to climb back down to the ground. He quickly stuffed the letter back into his coat pocket and stood up, wanting to be ready for his father’s instructions.

“All right, Newton,” Captain Pud announced. “We’ve reached our stop. Are you about ready to disembark?”

“I’m ready for anything, Papa!” Newton responded cheerily, the words from the note still fresh in his mind.

————

They had decided ahead of time to meet up in front of the Great Tree, and so once they were back on steady ground again Newton and his father headed straight there. Manglewood looked the same as it always had, at least as far as Newton knew—skies pink as cotton candy, neon lights wherever one might have looked, the enticing smell of popcorn and diner food in the air. He could also hear a song playing from a nearby jukebox—a soft, jazzy tune that he couldn’t help but feel like he’d heard again just recently…

_This is…”Mister Sandman”, I think? If I remember correctly, this is what Sackboy was playing in his home the other day…does that mean he was trying to help me feel more at home…?  
  
_ The unfamiliar warmth returned to Newton’s chest, making him feel oddly giddy when he heard a smooth voice that interrupted his reverie.

“Enter stage left! Redemption arc, scene one, aaaand ACTION!”

The source of the voice was none other than Marlon Random, running towards them with his usual friendly smile on his face.

“It’s good to see you again, Marlon,” Captain Pud greeted him. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. I’m sure you’ve been quite busy with things here lately…”

Marlon let out a good-natured laugh. “Well, this _is_ the most excitement Manglewood’s gotten in years…a nice change of pace, but I couldn’t carry out the performance without all of my cast and crew here!” He wagged his finger at Newton, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve definitely been a chaotic force on the set, kiddo.”

“Oh yes, I’m aware,” Newton replied, taken in by a wave of embarrassment and shame. “And I’m truly, terribly sorry for what I’ve done...I know now what a fool I’ve been, and I’ll do anything to make it up to—“

Marlon patted him on the shoulder, making him go quiet. “Relax, Newt. There’s no need for you to deliver a dramatic monologue. This is the epilogue, where we all come together and witness a ray of hope shine from the heavens! Or from the stage lights.” He ended the sentence with his trademark chuckle.

Newton could already tell that these acting metaphors would get old fast. Nevertheless he would grin and bear it, giving a nervous smile. “Right...”

“My son here will help with any errands for you or your citizens,” Captain Pud explained. “Whatever you need, he will assist you as an act of atonement.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Marlon reassured them. “From what you’ve been saying, it seems that Newt was trying to help, just in a way that was...really off-script. I’ve done plenty of stupid things myself when I was his age, and I think everyone should get a second take.”

“You’ve always been so understanding,” Captain Pud sighed. “Even after everything that’s happened. Even so, if there’s anything we can do for Manglewood...”

_And by “we”, of course he means me,_ Newton thought, suddenly feeling as if someone had hung a sword up over his head. _He’s not the one who released the Titans and destroyed the town after all..._

“Well,” Marlon said, “I’m sure all the residents here would appreciate your help with their current scripts. Off the top of my head, I remember Felica saying she’s been struggling to work on a new article, and Irene’s always looking for people to help feed her giant pet...”

Newton gulped at the sound of that. He certainly didn’t want to be anywhere near any giant pets, especially if they were anything like his mother’s cats could be...

“Very well!” Captain Pud agreed. “We’ll get through these tasks right away—just show us where to begin!”

The anxiety the inventor had forgotten was suddenly remembered very well.

————

The late afternoon had arrived by the time Newton had finished up his work. When he made it back to the Great Tree, he was absolutely exhausted, as well as slightly traumatized. He had decided right then and there that he never wanted to see another rabbit or anything resembling such for as long as he lived.

“You feeling thirsty, Newt?” Marlon asked, holding out a metal cup filled with milkshake. “This one’s freshly made. Your dad told me you liked butterscotch, and I had them put in some caramel sauce.” He smiled warmly as he handed over the drink. “This oughta perk you right up after a hard show!”

Newton nodded, grateful for the refreshment, and chugged it down. He could taste the overwhelming sweetness long after he’d swallowed it down, and his body felt like it had been chilled to its core.

Marlon laughed heartily at the sight of the lightbulb-head inhaling the milkshake in just under thirty seconds. “Glad to see you enjoyed it. How do you feel?”

“Better,” Newton exhaled. “It was...that last one that...really...threw me for a loop...” He shut his eyes as he tried to get his bearings. “I may need another one of those milkshakes...or maybe another five.”

“Well,” said Marlon, “if it makes you feel any better, you’ve helped out a lot of people. I’m sure everyone appreciates what you’ve done for them today.”

Newton looked down at his feet in order to hide the doubtful expression displayed on his face. “I’m not so sure about that…I suppose I’ve helped a _little_ , but does it really make up for…”

His voice trailed off as the memories came flooding back to his head. Even though the Titans had taken full control of his body, he was still completely, _painfully_ aware of what was going on. Every single thing that was stolen, destroyed, thrown out of place—from his prison inside of himself, he had seen it all unfold. And no matter how many good deeds he’d do from this point forward, there was no way that _any_ of them would make those memories of the havoc disappear—not for him, not for anyone.

A hand grabbed his glassy chin and his head was lifted up from its tilted position, so that he was now forced to make direct eye contact with Marlon. The actor let go of him immediately after, a serious look written on his features.

“It’s not gonna be easy,” he said, his voice unusually solemn. “but no script can be memorized in just a day. We’ve been through bad times before, and we’ll get through this one just the same. It’s going to be a long process, like any worthy production, but I think anyone can tell you’ve already made headway on this. And we know you’re gonna keep doing so.”

Finally, he cracked a smile, and even though it was a small one it really made him look more like himself again. “The case is, everyone’s gonna have to come to their own conclusions about you—yourself included. But what’s really important is that all of our stories have happy endings, regardless of who’s involved. As long as you learn from your past flops and keep trying to better yourself, that’s what matters most.”

Newton was taken aback by Marlon’s speech, and even more-so by the fact that his anxieties had noticeably settled by the end of it. “That was…surprisingly profound.”

“I figured you needed the ol’ Marlon wisdom,” the actor said with a chuckle. “Like I said, everyone deserves a second take. After all, the reel’s not over yet! Right, Captain Pud?”  
  
Captain Pud nodded, a warm smile spreading across his face—a rare look for him, as he seemed to look so focused all the time. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

At the sight of both of them looking so pleased, Newton allowed himself to smile in return.

  
For the longest time, his parents were so insistent in telling him that things were going to get better.

And at last, he was finally starting to believe that was the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit now I want a shake
> 
> Thanks a lot, Marlon -_____-


	14. Sackbot search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alliance's search party begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmgh this chapter was hard to write
> 
> Probably because it was less focused on character interaction and more focused on exploration
> 
> In any case I hope this one's fine at least? Writing about stuff like this isn't exactly my forte so

“Ahem! Everyone, let’s have a toast.”

The other Alliance members were just about finished eating when Avalon tapped the spoon against his glass, and they all looked in his direction.

“Here’s to a victorious search,” he spoke, a strong confident tone in his voice. “You can all be assured that I _will_ bring us to that victory, and the sackbots missing and lost out there _will_ be brought back home safe and sound, by the end of the night at the very latest.”

Larry rolled his eyes, but he didn’t look as disgruntled as he normally would during one of Avalon’s speeches—perhaps the optimism was rubbing off on him? “Now now, we can’t guarantee that just yet…but yes. If we all work together and keep our wits about us, we’ll surely make progress in no time.”  
  
The seven glasses were raised and clinked together, and everyone took a final long sip out of them before standing up from their seats. Sackboy in particular sipped more hurriedly, and once he had finished he put the Console Kitty helmet on, the last piece of his formerly incomplete ensemble.

“We all remember the plan, yes?” Larry spoke. “Well, I’ll give a refresher anyhow—Clive and Dr. Higginbotham stay with Victoria at her laboratory to look into what might’ve gotten into the sackbot found last night.” He nodded in the direction of the three aforementioned, as if to confirm this with them. “Meanwhile, the remaining four of us will look around in different areas. I shall scope out the Factory of a Better Tomorrow, Avalon will naturally investigate Avalonia, Eve will check her asylum to see if they might be hiding inside, and Sackthing will be heading off to the cosmos.” He looked towards Sackboy, slight doubt in his eyes. “Now, you’re certain you can handle this mission?”  
  
Sackboy nodded vigorously, insistent on carrying out this task. The cosmos were a tricky area to navigate for certain, but he knew he could go through them again, especially if it meant reuniting his friends once again.  
  
“Very well...fear not, however, for we’ll be sending out some shockbots after to follow and protect you.” The elder then looked over the rest of the team. “The rest of us will be accompanied by one shockbot each, to assist us in our investigations. We must make sure the majority of them don’t wander off or overwork themselves, lest they end up malfunctioning like the one we looked at last night.”

“All right, now that that boring and unnecessary exposition dump is out of the way—“ Avalon turned to face Sackboy with his usual self-assured grin. “—you about ready to get going, Ace?”  
  
The silent one responded with an eager nod, and he was promptly led by Avalon and Larry over to one of the backrooms where an open hatch waited for them, which looked to lead to the inside of a small spacecraft that looked just as futuristic and flashy as one would expect from Avalonia.

“No need to worry, kiddo,” the orange-haired man said as Sackboy climbed in through the hatch. “My state-of-the-art space pods are about as reliable as they come in every size. Indestructible, impenetrable, equipped with more lines of defense than you can count, aaand...” He gestured vaguely at the interior with his trademark smile. “...with all its refreshments and the ultra-comfortable seating, you’ll never want to leave!”

“But...he _is_ going to need to leave when it lands, you know,” Larry protested.“He’s going to investigate the cosmos...don’t you remember?”

“Hm, yes...well.” Avalon shrugged, then looked towards Sackboy again, giving a thumbs-up. “When you’re ready, we’re gonna close the hatch and send you off. Good luck, kid!”  
  
Once Sackboy returned the thumbs-up, Avalon ran to the launch controls, and right before the hatch began to close Larry managed to get one last statement in.

“When you’re finished with your search, send the message along with your current location and we’ll bring you back here right away. Be careful, Sackthing!”  
  
Sackboy nodded and waved goodbye, and just like that the hatch shut tightly with a firm click. A mixture of excitement and apprehension built up within him as he felt the spacecraft begin to lift off the ground from beneath him. He strapped himself into his seat, wriggling a bit in anticipation as the countdown sounded outside the interior, mentally preparing himself for the next step of his adventure.

Not a millisecond after the countdown had reached zero, the vessel was launched into the great unknown.

————

If there was one thing Sackboy did not miss about space travel, it was the fact that it was impossible to know the current time, and nigh impossible to figure how much time might have passed in the duration of the journey. Whether an hour or an entire day had gone by, he couldn’t tell, and the endless array of glowing patterns outside the window did nothing to help.

_They are pretty to look at though,_ he admitted to himself just before he could feel the vessel lowering itself. He buckled himself up once more, stretching his legs as he started planning on what to do when it was time to land. As luxuriously comfortable as the ship might have been, he was never really one to stay in one place for too long.

Also, he’d never say it to Avalon’s face, but he would absolutely lose his mind if he had to listen to “Rock Your Body Rock” one more time.

The space pod finally came to a complete stop, and the hatch reopened itself. Sackboy undid the seatbelt and hopped out immediately, wincing slightly as his feet made contact with the ground of compacted garbage. He looked his surroundings over as he adjusted, noting how eerily dark and quiet the area was when there weren’t any evil forces invading to disturb the planet’s peace.

Once again hardly ever being the type to stand by and do nothing, Sackboy moved forward to get a head-start on the investigation. It was true that the shockbots were truly helpful teammates and it might have been safer to wait until they showed to go deeper into the dark, but he was just eager to do what he could with whatever time he had, and so he wasn’t as focused on the precautions as he should have been.

He reached for his zipper underneath his costume to open up and pull something out—a box barely bigger than his chest. Clive gave it to him just before the dinner with the claim that it would assist him with his search.

_“It’s a new portable Lucy I’m working on,”_ he remembered him explaining when he handed it over. _“It’s handy for when you don’t feel like going around and activating different boxes. When you get her up and running, the sackbots should follow you to the ends of the world—though you really shouldn’t lead them there…err, also, this is just a prototype, and its energy source is far more limited than the usuals, so…use it wisely…”_

The knitted one squinted at the darkness ahead of him as the conversation echoed in his mind. There were no signs of life here currently, from sackbots or otherwise, and with the lack of light he wasn’t even certain if he could make out any silhouettes. After walking a short distance further he decided to take a chance and turn it on, and the holographic lady appeared right as he touched the button.

The bright red glow of the hologram brought more light to the area, albeit still not enough to tell exactly what was there around him, and the usual upbeat music accompanied its presence. Sackboy smiled slightly, and his steps became a bit more rhythmic even though he tried to keep enough focus on the task at hand. It was a great song, after all—even if he could never feel much for the lyrics.

Well, at least not until recently...for reasons unknown.

He kept moving forward as he let “Lucy” continue to run its course, seeing no point in looking around a dark place and deciding that the sackbots would show themselves in time if they were really there. As he roamed, his thoughts wandered away from the present and centered themselves on the words that floated from one unseen ear to another.

Having had no experience with love, he couldn’t really understand it. How could someone just believe their former partner changed their ways just like that? Even with how naïve he was he didn’t think that being told that someone wasn’t the same person as before would just fix everything. Why, years ago he’d barely understood why the Collector was so easily forgiven for their mass kidnapping—though in fairness, at the time he was pretty much thrown from one situation to another.

But after what had been going on the previous four months, and especially the last few days, he wasn’t sure what he thought about that anymore. Stranger still, he was less sure of what was causing these feelings in the first place.

_I mean...we’re not dating or anything, but Newton’s really gotten better, I think...we’re “best friends” now, right? And love isn’t that big a step from friendship, so if friendship can change..._

The ground hitting against his cheek cut off these thoughts. Or rather vise-versa.

He pulled himself up to his knees and quickly inspected the cube for any damage, sighing in relief when he found none. Even the hologram was still up and going—or at least, as it was now sideways, still going.

Right at that moment, a familiar squeaking noise was heard a ways away from him.

Sackboy stood up in a hurry to once again see a blocky silhouette running towards him. Before he could process what was happening he felt its wooden arms latch onto him, and just like the previous night it began to try in vain to drag him off someplace unknown. At first it was still easy to resist its movements, but he could hear more squeaks in the distance as he firmly planted his feet.

Three more shadows appeared from the distance, first slowly walking with hesitation before picking up their pace as they seemed to register his presence. Once close enough they all grabbed onto him as well and assisted the first one in pulling him forward. Sackboy attempted to break free from their grasp, but their combined efforts ended up becoming too overwhelming for him to handle alone. He continued struggling in their hold, thinking about the Alliance waiting for him to bring back his own results, though deeper in his mind he knew there wasn’t anything he could do about this situation…

“Unhand him right this minute!”  
  
A computerized voice was heard calling out over the commotion, and the silent one looked upward to see that the three shockbots had finally arrived. They each grabbed a sackbot and pulled them away from him, holding them in the air with ease despite their squirming and kicking, with one left clinging to him as if its life depended on it.

“You can carry that one back to the space pod,” the lead shockbot instructed Sackboy as it started marching off. “We can bring the rest of them.”

Sackboy nodded, and as he followed them back with the resistant sackbot in tow, he could feel an uneasiness hang over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez you clingy sackbots, don't you realize Sackboy only has eyes for Newton?
> 
> ...wait what do you mean they're still not boyfriends???!!


	15. Back at base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Higginbotham and company examine a sackbot's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the long wait for this one, I keep getting thrown from one hyperfixation to another
> 
> Like first I get super into Ace Attorney, then my love for Mondo Owada comes back with a vengeance, then I get into Tomodachi Life, then I play Helheim Hassle and decide to adopt the protagonist
> 
> Also sorry if this is another kinda boring chapter, once again writing about people just doing things is not my forte
> 
> But I hope there's something good in here anyway! ^_^

“Should we start this off by opening the head?”

  
“Hm, perhaps…that _would_ be the most likely source of the malfunction. But if we’re going to do that, we need to be extra careful—we don’t want to hurt the poor thing on accident.”

“The sackbots’ heads are floating away man, there’s a hand from far away, calling out to their invisible ears.”

“…right. Anyway, we should put it in sleep mode before we figure any of that out.”

“Right you are, Clive!”  
  
The restless sackbot squirmed in Victoria’s grasp, but she carefully flipped it over without much hinderance, getting it to face its back towards the three of them. Once it was in position, she looked back at Clive. “Would you mind holding it down for me for a mo’?”

“Oh, okay.” The calendar man sounded morose as ever, but he obeyed and gripped its arms just as Victoria let them go. Victoria then picked up a screwdriver from the tray of tools that waited nearby and used it to open up a small compartment in the back of its head. She then traded the screwdriver in for a straightened paperclip, which she used to press on the small reset button inside. In just a few seconds, the sackbot’s struggling ceased.

“The poor little dears,” Victoria sighed, looking at the now resting sackbot with sympathy. “I have no idea what they’ve gone through, but it must’ve messed with their protocol quite a bit. Let’s flip it back around and see what exactly the damage is, shall we?”  
  
They flipped the sackbot back over, its front now facing them, and the baketress grabbed the screwdriver again. Slowly and cautiously, she unscrewed the faceplate from the head and set it down on the tray. But when she went to lean in closer to the insides of the head, she immediately took a few steps back, her mechanical body going stiff.

“Wh-What’s wrong?” Clive stammered out, caught off-guard by his colleague’s sudden surprise.

Victoria was quiet for a second or two, watching the sackbot as if it would jump up onto its feet and attack the three of them at any given moment.

“I…don’t know what to make of it,” she managed at last. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Clive turned to look at Dr. Higginbotham. “Maybe… _you_ should take a look, doctor? Last I checked, things we don’t know what to make of is kind of your specialty.”

Dr. Higginbotham nodded. “It’s gone on its own journey, off to the unknown in a poof of icing fog. I can navigate the yogurt path.”

His language was nonsensical as ever, but he made his way over to the sackbot and leaned downward, looking closely at the head’s interior.

“Do be careful,” Victoria warned, eyebrows furrowing in worry. “It might be dangerous…”

Dr. Higginbotham nodded again. “I see…the sackbot’s brain is trapped in a box. A cube of licorice clouds…”  
  
Clive glanced at Victoria with confusion written on his features. “What do you suppose he means?”  
  
“From what I could tell,” she explained, “there’s some black gunk littering its circuits. That’s _got_ to be what’s making them behave so oddly, but…”

“Their spirits are lost in the fog, man,” Dr. Higginbotham went on. “We’re going to need a giant pole to fish them out.”

“Should we try to clean it out?” Clive suggested, ignoring the doctor’s nonsequiturs.

Victoria shook her head. “We’ve no idea what it could be. We can’t risk getting any of it on our hands without gathering more information on it. The safest thing to do would be—“

The ringing of the laboratory’s communicator sounded from the other room, cutting her off. Without hesitation she hurried off towards the source of the sound, answering the call.

“Victoria? You guys need to get over here pronto!”

————

Sackboy was situated in Avalonia’s lobby, trembling in his seat as one of the shockbots took a place by his side. The shockbot did its best to offer him comfort, gently rubbing his arm.

“It’s going to be okay,” it told him, its voice remaining in its robotic monotone. “We might not know everything about this situation, but we’re all going to do our best to come to a resolution, correct?”

Sackboy looked over at the shockbot and nodded, giving a small smile as if to let it know he appreciated its attempts. He hoped that it couldn’t detect any of the fear and worry behind his smile, but given how powerfully it had been affecting him since he’d been ambushed, he doubted it. More than anything else he felt that helplessness again—the Alliance was counting on him and he couldn’t even escape four sackbots...

He forced himself out of his discouraged thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching.

“How are you holding up, Ace?” Avalon asked him, an oddly gentle tone in his voice. “Those guys gave you quite a scare, huh?”

Sackboy gave a hesitant nod, still reluctant on letting his vulnerability show—or at least, what little vulnerability that wasn’t showing already.

“We found what might’ve been making them act up,” Victoria announced, standing behind Avalon along with Clive and Dr. Higginbotham. “There was this strange black substance that clogged one of their heads completely!”

Avalon raised an eyebrow. “You sure that couldn’t just be oil? Figured you’d be kinda into that with your steampunk aesthetic and all...”

“Absolutely not!” Victoria huffed. “I’ll have you know that all of my creations run on electricity—why do you think there were so many electrical hazards in my laboratory during the Negativitron’s attacks?”

“Calm down, lady,” Avalon responded, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t mean anything bad, I was just speculating is all.”

“Erm, Avalon,” Clive spoke up nervously, “has Sackboy been doing better since he got back?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, he’s fine. Nothing can keep the kid down for too long, y’know.” Avalon looked at the silent one with a grin. “Isn’t that right?”

Sackboy smiled in return, but on the inside he felt more doubtful than ever. He knew he shouldn’t have felt that way, not when everyone was being so supportive and understanding, but he just couldn’t help feeling guilty and disappointed in himself.

“Why don’t you head home for the night, little one?” Victoria suggested to him softly. “You’ve done a fine job this evening, tracking down four missing sackbots.”

Sackboy looked down at his feet, uncertainty knitted on his features. They made it sound like he did all the work when he had just happened upon them and been rescued by the shockbots assisting him.

_Is that really okay...?_

“There’s no need for worry,” the baketress reassured him. “Go home and get some rest. You’ve earned it after today.”

Sackboy sat still for a moment before pulling himself up and doing as she’d insisted. But from the second he’d left Avalonia to the second he’d returned home, he still didn’t feel well about any of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy noooooooooooooo
> 
> Also my first time writing Higginbotham, who was really hard to figure out how to write, hope I didn't screw up too badly ;;^__^;;


	16. Frosty reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton is trying his best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez, Helheim Hassle has really hijacked my system
> 
> I wasn't sure how to describe Oleg and I could only really describe his style as "viking-esque" and when that came up my brain was just like "yuefgauesjhfsjafsBJØRRRNNNNNNNN"
> 
> Anyway, here we goooo

Newton vastly regretted not bringing several more coats with him when he had packed his belongings.

It wasn’t entirely his fault, really—having lived most of his life in Needlepoint Peaks, he was much more accustomed to warmer temperatures. In fact, as far as he was aware, the Ziggurat might have been the only freezing cold place on Bunkum. Of course, he hadn’t travelled nearly as frequent or far as his father, so he could not declare himself an expert on the variety of locations one could explore on the planet.

_But even still, why does this area have to be so torturously cold?! If I stay here any longer, they could mistake the glass of my head for ice!_

Which is why he was glad at first when he was dropped off at Oleg’s dance academy, a place he’d been told was refreshingly warm in comparison to the weather outside. He pushed open the heavy metal door and trudged inside, unsure of what to expect other than heat but looking forward to it nonetheless.

When he stepped in, however, he felt his stomach drop just as the temperature around him had risen. It felt unbearably hot actually, and the reddish glow all around the interior was not helping the matter at all. There was also the metallic floor beneath his feet which he was certain would have burned right off of his ankles had they not been protected by his boots, and the strange way the walls were set up as if they were the doors to a cage—was this a dance academy or an oven?!

…it was that very thought that made the pit in his stomach sink even lower. A couple of days had passed since he’d had that nightmare, but he could still remember it as clearly as when he’d just woken up from it. He thought he’d at least have the luxury of avoiding that immense anxiety until tomorrow, when he would actually have to heed the voice in his dream, but it was boiling inside of him now, flooding his entire being as his mind wandered off to the realm of worst case scenarios.

_Oh no, what if…what if this was a trap? What if this travelling thing was all an elaborate ruse?! All along they wanted to lure me out of the manor and into perilous situations, hoping that at least one errand would do away with me…and since the rabbit thing didn’t work out, they’re going to burn me to ashes! Oh, I knew it, I knew I was beyond redemption, I knew Papa would never forgive me, I should have seen this coming from a long way off—_

“Ah, it’s you! Mache told Oleg you would come. Newton Pud, yes?”

The friendly voice laced with a Russian accent brought Newton out of his dramatic inner monologue, and he looked up to see a man towering above him who slightly resembled one third of the heroic trio of Bunkum—Toggle, if he remembered correctly. He did look quite different from him though, dressed in somewhat viking-esque attire.

“Oh…yes, that’s me,” Newton responded, smiling sheepishly at the man he’d assumed to be Oleg. “I’ve come to offer you any assistance you may need, to make up from the trouble I’ve put everyone through months ago.”

Oleg nodded, smiling in return. “Is very good timing. You see, Oleg made mistake and played wrong music again, and now bears inside are now most upset. Music must change to soothing music so good friend Sackboy’s hard work not go to waste!”

Newton perked up immediately at hearing his friend’s name. “Sackboy’s been here?”  
  
“Oh, yes. Little silent one come here and go through lot of trouble to pull lever. Oleg want to switch to new song, but pick wrong one instead and now we must start over again! Is great hassle, but they tell me Sackboy go back home, and no one else in Ziggurat available to help…”

Newton lost his focus as Oleg continued on with his explanation. He couldn’t pinpoint what exactly drove his attention away, but he could only assume that it had something to do with hearing about Sackboy again. He had to admit to himself how incredible it seemed, just hearing about how much he’d been up to during his stay in Bunkum, how many people he’d managed to help out and befriend whilst still keeping up with his main adventure. Just how much was he capable of?

“…so are you able to assist Oleg with bears?”

“Uh—h-huh?” Newton stammered out, a tad startled from being pulled out of his thoughts by the question. “Um, well yes, of course! I-I’ll try to help out however I can!”

A look of immense relief crossed Oleg’s face. “Oh, thank you, glowing friend! Then let us begin!”  
  
Newton nodded and looked over at the path that lied ahead of him, growing tenser again at the high temperatures and metal surfaces. The loud music blaring throughout the building, which he hadn’t registered before in the midst of his anxiety attack, certainly wasn’t helping matters either. And this was _without_ seeing the aforementioned bears, the territory of which he did not feel good at all about invading…

…but Sackboy managed it just fine, did he not?

_Sackboy pushed through this, even with everything else going on,_ Newton thought, attempting to psych himself up. _Surely I can get through it too! And it’s not like I have much choice anyway, since the whole point of this is to prove I’m not a menace to society anymore…_

Trying his hardest to keep this mindset, he moved forward.

————

“The Newton _does_ seem to be better now,” said Papal Mache as he handed Captain Pud a mug of hot tea, “but you are _certain_ he is no longer in control of Titans, yes?”

“Of course,” Captain Pud answered before taking a sip of the drink. “We’ve seen all three of them go back into the tin, and there’s no possible way they can escape without the aid of me or my wife.” Staring into his drink, he allowed a humble smile to cross his features. “It was a difficult task, to be sure. I don’t know how well we’d have managed it if it weren’t for Sackboy and the three heroes.”

“Maybe so,” Papal responded, but the look in his eyes gave away the anxiety he truly felt. “Still...you are certain he is all good, no? He has no problems?”

Captain Pud sighed and took another sip before he proceeded to answer. “Newton is a good boy, Papal. He has his faults, no doubt about it, but he means very well.“

Papal nodded. “Yes, I see this now. He makes his intentions clear. I just worry about what may happen if he gets wrong idea again.”

“We’ll have to be quite a bit stricter with him,” Captain Pud agreed solemnly. “It’s my own fault for leaving the tin out in the open like that to begin with. But I give you my word, we won’t let Newton get ahead of himself like that again.”

“I do trust _you_ , Captain Pud. It is the Newton I am not so sure about. How can we know he won’t get up to more trouble...?”

“All he needs is a push in the right direction, Papal. And I think this trip is serving as a good beginning to that.”

————

_“AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGHHH—!!”_

Newton released a terrified shriek as he slid down the hot metal surface at full speed. He could still feel his legs and backside burning after he tumbled down onto the floor, fortunately not headfirst. He sat there for a moment, catching his breath and trying to regain his composure, when he turned his head to examine his surroundings.

The exit was there, right by his left. He could feel his enthusiasm coming back as he looked it over. _I’m going to survive this fiery nightmare after all! I just have to walk on over there and…!_

“PLEASE, LIGHTBULB FRIEND!” he heard Oleg’s voice bellow, quickly sending his thoughts away. “PLEASE SWITCH MUSIC! HURRY!”

Newton remembered what he was doing and stood back up on his feet, giving a nod to Oleg as he approached the control panel, in which he found a lever and a list of songs—the majority of which he was unfamiliar with.

_[Trois Gymnopedies]_

_[God Russik]_

**_[Rodent (Remix)]_ **

_[Air Song (8 AM Version)]_

_[Vitium in Opere]_

_[Brassic]_

_[Every Morning]_

_[Steam Punk’d]_

_[Waltz of the Flowers]_

The inventor stared intently at the song selection, standing still as if he were waiting for the correct title to magically jump out at him. He leaned in closer, narrowing his eyes as he repeatedly glanced over the list, trying to find a descriptor in any of them that might have indicated a soothing quality.

_Well,_ he thought to himself, _Trois Gymnopedies and Vitium in Opere both sound like fancy classical songs to me…and classical songs are normally peaceful, right? With that narrowed down…maybe I should leave it up to fate to decide?  
_

Newton pointed a finger at the list and let it hover up and down for a few seconds to determine his decision. He shut his eyes just as it stopped, leaned into press a button, and--

“NOOOOO! THAT IS NOT GOOD SONG!”

Right as Oleg shouted, Newton’s finger hit the button, and immediately a dramatic orchestral tune blared from the speakers, summoning an uproar from the distressed bears. Newton felt his body go stiff at the sudden chaotic mixture of noises, realizing the seriousness of the mistake he had just created, and he couldn’t even realize someone grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the control panel.

When he came back to his senses, he found himself out in the cold once again, as well has his father and the the two Ziggurat curators carefully watching him, each one holding a concerned look in their facial expressions.

“P-Papa,” Newton stuttered out, electric eyes glancing over at everything but their faces. “M-M-Mr. Mache, I-I…I’m…”

His voice trailed off as Captain Pud stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shivering shoulder.

“Let’s head inside for now, son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -insert Price Is Right Losing Horn here-
> 
> I didn't really know how to write Papal, honestly I don't feel like he has as much personality as the other characters
> 
> Like he seems like a nice dude and everything and some of his dialogue is funny but he doesn't really have a lot going for him


	17. Thawing out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Pud confronts his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooow another one already
> 
> I don't know why or how, this chapter just came flowing out tonight
> 
> Hope this doesn't seem too rushed

Newton was an anxious mess the entire journey to the library, babbling incoherently every step of the way and not hearing a single word that either of the curators were saying to him. The endless rambling made it all the more alarming when he went completely silent as soon as he was sat down inside, staring off into space and barely registering anything that was going on around him. His body was like a wilting flower trapped in the midst of a devastating earthquake, the blanket draped over him almost falling off and the warm cup of tea in his hands in great danger of slipping out of his grasp.

Captain Pud had never seen his son so out of it in all of his life, not even after the scariest dreams he’d wake up from as a small boy. And in all of his life, he’d never felt so worried for him.

“Drink your tea, Newton,” he urged him. “It’ll do you good, I promise. We put plenty of honey inside, just the way you like it.”

Newton nodded and mustered a small sip, the harrowed expression on his glassy face never faltering. Captain Pud sighed at the state of his child, and tried to think back to how he’d handled his previous bouts of anxiety. None of them had ever been as intense as this current one, this he was certain of, but even so he remembered that in most of the cases they wouldn’t get anywhere without a one-on-one conversation.

He looked over at Papal and Oleg, who stood nearby. “Would the two of you mind leaving us for a few minutes? I need to help him calm down.”

Oleg nodded and exited right away, presumably to go back and try to resolve the situation at his academy, but Papal seemed a bit more reluctant to go.

“Are you sure you both will be all right?” he asked.

Captain Pud nodded. “We’ll be fine. We just need some time alone.”

After another moment of hesitation, Papal left the room, and the adventurer turned his attention back to his distraught son.

“So…you’ve got yourself into trouble again, hm?”  
  
A dose of shame was added to the fearful look on Newton’s face. “I didn’t know what the songs on the list were, Papa, I-I swear…” He tilted his head downward, the fear in his expression fading in favor of his guilt. “…but…that doesn’t excuse my mistake, does it…I-I’m sorry.”

“You needn’t worry so much,” Captain Pud reassured him, patting him on the back. “That sort of thing can happen to anyone, especially those not so knowledgeable about music.” He then gave him a playful smirk. “Although, I _would_ say it’s rather odd that you’re not familiar with _Waltz of the Flowers_.”

Newton let out a nervous chuckle at that. “Well, that is, I’m _somewhat_ familiar with it…just not enough to know if it was the right song.”

The two shared a light laugh, basking in the relief that came with the tension lessening with each word. In the midst of it Captain Pud snuck in a glimpse at Newton and allowed himself a smile. The younger lightbulb-head looked like he was feeling better already—the smiling and chuckling was a nice change at the very least. It then occurred to him that he hadn’t actually seen Newton acting so casual in quite some time, even before the Titans incident, and even when he wasn’t away on his travels. It made him wonder just how he appeared in his son’s eyes to make him act all formal and professional all the time.

He then quickly reminded himself that Newton’s wellbeing was the most important thing at present. Any reevaluations of himself would have to wait for another time.

“In all seriousness,” he spoke up, “you’ve seemed quite on edge today. Is there anything you need to talk about?”

“Do I really—?” Newton jumped a bit in his seat, appearing to be startled by his father’s observation. “Ah, n-no no, Papa, everything is just fine! Really! I’ve just been so worried about making a better second impression that…I suppose it’s made me somewhat jumpier.”

“The way you’ve been acting isn’t what I’d call jumpy, Newton,” said Captain Pud, raising a brow in suspicion. “That look in your eyes is similar to what I’d see in those of someone fighting for their life. It’s almost as if you’re feeling…threatened.”

Going by the way Newton’s eyes widened in response, it would seem that he had hit the nail right on the head.

“I see…so you’ve noticed that after all…” His son’s voice had become unusually soft and shy, and his previous anxiety—while not as strong as before—made its return to his features. “It’s nothing to be concerned about, really. It’s just these bad dreams I’ve been having that I just can’t seem to shrug off for whatever reason…” A small, sad smile crossed his face. “I sound quite foolish right now, don’t I? You must be disappointed in me, acting like a silly child…”

Captain Pud lightly smacked Newton on the top of his head. “Knock it off. You’ve been through so much, it’s understandable that you’d be dealing with bad dreams. And with how strongly they seem to be affecting you, it’s very clear that you need to talk about them.”

“N-No, I—I don’t!” Newton insisted, his anxiety becoming more and more visible. “I’m—I’m perfectly fine, Papa…you really don’t need to worry over me like this. I can handle myself just fine.”  
  
“Newton…please.” Captain Pud looked him right in the eyes, a stern and determined expression on his face. “No matter how many times you say it, I _know_ you’re not all right. And if there’s anything I can do to help you feel safer, anything at all, I need you to tell me right away.” He reached over and grabbed his son by the shoulders, doing his best to keep the firmness in his expression despite the emotion that welled up within him. “For cog’s sake Newton, I’m your father—you should _know_ by now that you can talk to me about these things.”  
  
He felt Newton’s shoulders stiffen under his grasp, and the younger inventor looked like he wanted to vanish right then and there, but he kept maintaining eye contact, and at this the adventurer couldn’t help but feel somewhat impressed in spite of himself.

“I…I know I can talk to you about it,” Newton started off slowly after what felt like the longest time, but despite the words he sounded all the more doubtful. “I’m just…not comfortable talking about it here. Could we not wait until we’re home again to discuss this?”

Captain Pud’s expression softened considerably. “…are you certain you can wait for that long? If you’re feeling unwell, we can always come home early and go back to our travel plans another time…”  
  
“No no no no! I can keep going. I’ll be just fine, Papa, I promise.” Newton gave him his best attempt at a reassuring smile. “It’s the least I can do, really…after what I’ve done, I owe it to everyone else to go through with this.”

“This isn’t about everyone else,” Captain Pud replied, the sternness in his voice now completely gone—an odd tone to hear, even for himself. “You need to remember that I want what’s in your best interest as well. So if you need to return home earlier, for any reason at all, I expect you to let me know right away. Do you understand?”

Newton seemed highly reluctant to agree to that, but after a few moments of silently staring and hesitating, he finally nodded.

“All right, Papa…I understand.”

————

Newton felt quite overwhelmed upon returning to the airship that night. With everything that had happened in the day, errands _and_ discussions, it was needless to say that he was almost completely drained of his energy. And yet, despite how exhausted he was, he couldn’t bring himself to rest just yet.

He’d been doing his best to contain his various woes and anxieties up until today, but now that they had all come flooding back, he was in the sort of mood in which it would only take a gentle breeze to set him off. To make the situation all the more troubling, he knew that he would only feel even more fragile if he didn’t get any sleep, and then he’d have absolutely no composure remaining when he would have to face Pinky Buflooms the next day. At this rate he would _have_ to return home early in order to regain his strength, but even though his father told him it was an option and there was no shame in it…

_…I can’t show that sort of weakness again…I really can’t._

There was only one thing he could think of that would help settle his nerves. It would be extremely risky, given that his father was asleep in the other room and had yet to know what he’d been doing in secret, but he couldn’t think of any other option.

He hurried over to the airship’s computer and switched it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm-hm-hm-hm-hmmmmmmmmm?


	18. Confiding in you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton messages with Sackboy about his troubles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm I feel weird about this one but I'm gonna go ahead with it anyway
> 
> I hope it's good!

Sackboy had been reclusive for most of the day. It felt strange to him, remaining in his pod for such a long period of time, but after the events of the previous night he needed to take a day to recharge and gather his thoughts. He really didn’t feel up for being around other people today with the unpleasant feeling of vulnerability he had been trying to cope with. Between being ambushed by the rogue sackbots and getting caught under the sympathetic stares of the other Alliance members, he found himself feeling inadequate and uncomfortable, and there was no way he could deal with that out in the open and in front of people.

He knew he shouldn’t have been keeping these thoughts to himself, that it would do him more harm than good to bottle them up rather than tell someone, but who was he going to tell? He couldn’t let the Alliance know he was feeling this way, lest they give him anymore pitying looks, and once he eliminated them from his possible options there wasn’t really anyone left.

_If Newton was here, then maybe…_ Sackboy shook his head, dismissing the thought as soon as it popped up. _No, that’s stupid. He’s out traveling with his dad, and I don’t wanna disturb them or give him away...and that’s assuming he’ll even see any messages I send…_

Giving up on the idea of talking to someone, he curled back up near the flamethrower cat and started thinking about what he should do next. He was considering going over to his Moon to see if he could create anything new, when he heard a familiar sound ring out from his pod computer. He practically leapt over to the controller, apparently more bored by the isolation than he originally thought, and opened up the new message.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud  
  
Good evening, Sackboy._

_If you’re not busy at the moment, I was hoping we could have a chat?_

All of Sackboy’s motivation seemed to have come flooding back to him in an instant. Before he knew it his fingers were already tapping away at the keyboard, concocting a reply.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Hello!!!_

_Id love to talk with you!_

_how are u? Is the trip going ok?_

Newton’s reply took a minute to arrive. As Sackboy looked it over, he couldn't help but feel concerned.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Not exactly._

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_what happened??? are you alright???_

_youre not hurt or anything are you??_

A few minutes passed as the knitted one waited for an answer, but due to his worry they stretched out into something longer. He fumbled with his hoodie sleeves as he waited, trying not to let it get to him, doing his best to rationalize things, but still wondering why the replies were taking longer than normal.

————

Newton had made sure to dim the screen down once he had turned it on, and for good measure he had thrown a blanket over the computer and himself as a makeshift canopy. If his father were to wake up and ask him what he was doing, he would simply tell him that he was looking into the programming again to see if he could learn anything. Once his nerves had settled slightly, he went right to his mission.

Sackboy’s responses came rather quickly, which to him was both relieving and somewhat annoying. He wasn’t even certain how exactly he would go about this conversation just yet, and somehow his chum could dive right into it without the slightest preparation. _How can someone without a voice have such a way with words…?_

Although he had to admit, something inside of him felt a bit warmer at the worried tone in the latest message. He took no pleasure in his friend’s panic by any means, but he felt that if he _was_ worried then maybe his wellbeing was worth maintaining after all.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_We went to the Ziggurat today._

_It seemed like things would be fine at first, but then I got to a dance academy run by this Oleg fellow._

_He seemed nice enough, but the place was BROILING. I felt like my bulb was going to explode from overheating! It kept reminding me of that nightmare I told you about, and I went into a panic and I just couldn’t concentrate on the task at hand…_

_I ended up choosing the wrong song and stirring up chaos. It was an accident! I had no idea what those songs on the list were! I’m not acquainted with all of the local Ziggurat customs!_

_The strangest thing of all is that no one seems angry with me. Oleg just went back to his academy and Papal Mache was checking in on us to see if I was okay. And Papa kept telling me that I could talk to him about anything, that it was fine if we needed to get home early and_

Newton felt his eyes burning again as he wrote, and he had to pull away from the keyboard for a moment to calm himself down again. He couldn’t risk breaking down crying in the middle of the night and waking up his father. He continued once the burning died back down.

_and I just felt so hopeless._

_I can never do anything right, it seems._

He sent the message, and as he waited for a response the stinging sensation built up again. He put one hand over his eyes, trying his best to keep everything inside, only letting go of his face when the controls vibrated underneath his other hand.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_it wasn’t your fault, Newton. If you didn’t know what the songs were then you couldn’t help that._

_Does your dad know about the nightmare you had? If so Im kinda surprised he thought youd be okay going to the academy, I mean Oleg is nice and all and its not super dangerous but youre clearly not in the right mindset to be in a place like that_

_I think they all understand how hard you’re trying though. I mean I know how hard your trying and I’m not related to you or even from your world. from what I hear parents just seem to always worry about their kids so i think your dad just really wanted to look out for you._

_i mean i’m only assuming all of this since i’m not there and i don’t know everything that’s going on but_

_I’m really sorry that you went through all that. If there’s anything I can do to help you can always ask._

————

Sackboy worried nonstop about whether or not the message was suitable. He did his best to write some words of comfort for Newton, but he knew there was only so much he could do, given that he wasn’t directly involved in this situation. The only thing he really knew for sure about this was that Newton needed someone, and he had been chosen as that someone.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_...I haven’t told him about the nightmare. I’m afraid that if I tell him, he’ll just become even more disappointed in me. He’s already constantly reassuring me that she won’t do anything to hurt me and that he’ll be there to protect me. If he knew I was letting some dream involving her get into my head, I would never hear the end of it!_

_He probably never let stupid nightmares like that get to him. I really should be doing better, but can I really?_

Sackboy shook his head at the message, shutting his eyes in slight frustration. _And Newton thinks I’m the stubborn one…_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_he is your dad_

_you are in a bad place and he is trying to help you get out of it._

_he is trying to be strong for you._

_he probably thinks that if he doesn’t look strong to you you’ll just worry more about stuff_

A little under a minute later, a reply was received, and Sackboy could practically _feel_ the passive-aggression leaking out of it.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_  
And how, might I ask, would you be able to know that?_

_You’ve only met my papa for all but two minutes last I’ve checked._

_You’re not from Bunkum, you wouldn’t know anything about him._

_My father is a man of legend. A genius inventor, a brave adventurer, a renowned hero. The entire planet looks up to him. Not a single person feels lost or scared when he comes to help them._

_Do you have any idea what it’s like to try and fail at living up to that standard over and over again?_

Sackboy felt like banging his head against the wall, but he managed to refrain from doing that and thought over what he had read. What were the chances that Newton actually meant what he wrote? Everyone said things they didn’t mean when they were upset.

_Still…him using that tone with me kinda hurts…_

Despite this he pushed forward in the conversation, choosing his words carefully.

————

Newton felt like banging his head against the keyboard, but with great effort he had managed to just barely refrain from doing that—primarily because his father would discover him instantly if he hadn’t. But even if he wasn’t beating himself up about it physically, he was certainly doing it mentally.

_Whyyyy why why why why WHY would you write that you IDIOT?!?_ he thought quite calmly to himself. _Sackboy is your friend—your BEST friend, for the love of cog!! He was only trying to comfort you and here you go again, ruining everything once more!_

His eyes were fixed on the screen, glaring at his regrettable words as he thought over what to do to amend the situation. He had to send an apology fast, but still take the time to put in his sincerity. And so he went straight to typing, cursing his lack of a way with words.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_I am so sorry Sackboy, I didn’t mean to be so harsh I’m_

Right in the middle of his writing, a new message was received.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_You’re right. I don’t know anything about him._

_But from what you said about him he seems like a great person_

_and you’re a great person too even if you don’t see it yet._

_Your dad loves you a lot and he just wants to keep you safe. why wouldn’t he?_

Newton was astonished by how patient Sackboy was proving himself to be. Even after what he’d put him through four months ago, and even after snapping at him when he was just trying to help, the knitted hero was still trying to comfort him. He knew he was fortunate to be able to get him back into his life, but up until now he didn’t even realize just how much.

_To: Sackboy  
From: Newton Pud_

_I apologize, dear chum. I know you’re only trying to help. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that. You’re kind enough to hear me out and help me through this and here I am snapping at you._

_It’s just been a stressful couple of days. I feel as though I can’t manage anything, and the things I did manage were overly difficult. They said you also handled these tasks and I just don’t know how you got through them and still kept your wits about you. Is there anything you CAN’T do?_

As soon as it was sent out, Newton waited anxiously for a response and could only hope that Sackboy wasn’t too upset by his words. The silent one most certainly had every right to be angry with him, and he would understand completely if he’d just gotten on his last nerve, but even so he didn’t want to lose the closest friend he’d had in all of his life, especially not like this, and he didn’t want another thing to add to the list of what he had ruined.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_It’s ok. don’t worry about it._

_I know you’re stressed out by everything and i think anyone would feel that way in your place. i was stressed too._

_maybe you don’t see it yet, but there’s lots of stuff I can’t do and lots of stuff you CAN do. You’re just going through a really hard time right now and you cant help that._

_But everything will be ok in the end i promise._

Newton wasn’t sure how Sackboy could promise something like that—he wasn’t sure how _anyone_ could—but somehow he believed the words when they came from _him_. He wouldn’t have been able to explain why, but he knew that his little chum wouldn’t have said something like that if he didn’t mean it.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_If that’s how you truly feel…then I shall trust your judgment._

_And you’re certain you’re not disappointed in me? I wouldn’t blame you in the least if you were. Especially after I was so harsh…_

_I’ll do my very best to make it up to you once I return. We can do whatever you want, go anywhere you want…just name it._

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Just make sure you take care of yourself and get home safe, ok?_

_That’s all I want from you. ^____^_

At long last, Newton was able to crack a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you two just confess your love already I mean come on


	19. Everything is fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sackboy is very adamant about not telling people how he feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt sort of stuck on this chapter for a while and then recently it just started flowing again
> 
> In any case, I hope this one is enjoyable!

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Thank you so much for talking me through this, dear chum._

_I truly appreciate it. I’m so grateful to have you as a friend._

_Dear me, I’ve been rambling this entire time! I should give you a chance to talk now._

_How have you been doing lately?_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Its no problem!! We’re best friends after all right? Of course I’ll listen to you! ^o^_

_We found 4 more sackbots yesterday. Victoria says there was some weird gunk in their heads and now theyre trying to find out if its toxic or not_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_I see! Well, finding the sackbots is great news! The weird gunk thing, not so much._

_I take it you’re feeling rather relieved about this?_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_haha yeah, its really weird :P_

_And yeah I guess so! Its good to see they werent hurt...unless the gunk stuffs hurting them? but i really hope not_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_I suppose only time will tell, in that regard._

_Has anything else been going on with you? Anything that’s been on your mind?_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_No, not really. Just the same stuff I guess? Not a whole lots happening in craftworld other than the sackbot crisis tbh_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Fair enough._

_I wasn’t asking about Craftworld though—I was asking about you._

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Nothings going on with me either!_

_Dont you need to go to bed???_

_I dunno if theres a different time zone in Bunkum but u still need to get some sleep_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Hmph. That’s true._

_But I much prefer talking with you. :)_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_Newton!!!!! Sleep now!!!!!!!!!! >:|_

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Oh, all right, all right. If only because I pictured you making that cute pouting face of yours whilst writing that message._

_Goodnight, dear chum. Have sweet dreams!_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy_

_-////____////-_

_Night night Newton………sleep well!! ^_____^_

Not a second later, Sackboy’s status was set to offline.

Newton felt much more relaxed now after messaging with him. It was a given when it came to talking with him, really—it seemed that wherever he went, he would put everyone in his proximity at ease just by standing near them. It was quite a pity, he thought, that they couldn’t have talked a little longer.

But Sackboy was right. Newton needed to get as much sleep as he could, for he would certainly need that strength and energy for where they were going tomorrow.

And so he pulled himself up to his feet, trying to ignore the feeling of dread beginning to hover over him once more in favor of repeating his friend’s words in his mind. He closed the chat, turned off the computer and headed off to bed.

_Odd thing, though…I have the strangest feeling that my old chum might be hiding something from me…_

————

Sackboy lied in his bed and stared up at the dice hanging from the ceiling, wondering why he was in such a hurry to end the conversation.

He did truly enjoy chatting with Newton, even if he’d had a looser grip on his manners this time around. It certainly wasn’t a matter of wanting or needing to stop talking, although…

…he _did_ feel somewhat pressured when he was insistently asked about how he was faring. Thinking on it now, though, he wasn’t sure why. They’d found more sackbots and they were possibly getting closer to the problem with them, and that aside everything else was going okay. So why would he shoo Newton away so suddenly if he had nothing to hide?

It’s not like there was anything urgent he needed to tell him or anything. Everything was fine, wasn’t it?

_That’s right…everything is fine…_

With that thought repeating in his mind, Sackboy decided to call it a night.

_. . . . . . . . ._

_He found himself standing on the bridge all of a sudden, the usually bright and cheery area immersed in silence and darkness. With no idea why he was there, he was just about to get off the bridge and head back home when he noticed a strange motion in the water._

_There were some small air bubbles, swirling around one spot in particular as if someone were trying to rise out above the surface. Sackboy crept up to the edge of the bridge and leaned in closer to get a better view of the sight. Almost as soon as he did, he saw a face peer up at him from just beneath the water, with a familiar pair of glowing blue eyes. He reached out a hand, knitted fingers lightly grazing the water, and felt something firmly grab back._

_Before he knew it he was pulled up off the bridge, and he found himself dangling in the air by the arm. The thing that gripped his arm was so tight that it was quickly becoming painful, and he was so wrapped up in the immense fear he was feeling that it took him a moment before he gave his captor a good look._

_One sackbot was grabbing onto him, but it was not alone—far from it. There looked to be a large pile of sackbots rising from the water, all packed together as if they were becoming an amalgamation._

_Sackboy just barely noticed all their eyes switch to black before they dragged him downward._

_. . . . . . . ._

The silent one jolted awake from the nightmare, trembling under the covers. His arms still felt sore, as if they’d been actually squeezed by a possessed sackbot. Right before he could come to his senses, a noise from the pod computer did it for him, helping him come back to reality and realize his surroundings.

He pushed the covers off of himself and groggily walked over to the computer, opening the message that had just arrived.

_To: Sackboy_

_From: Victoria von Bathysphere_

_Good morning, Sackboy!  
Would you mind visiting the laboratory at your earliest convenience?_

_I’ve prepared a delicious breakfast for you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Victoria von Bathysphere_

————

He had just made it to the laboratory’s entrance when Victoria opened the doors and pulled him inside.

“Come in, come in!” she coaxed him. “Before your food loses its warmth!”

They made their way to the dining table, which held up a plate of sweet crêpes, baked and refined to perfection, topped with an assortment of fruits and filled with whipped cream and syrup. The smell of the food already made Sackboy feel a bit better than before, as Victoria’s desserts tended to do. But it was not enough of a distraction for him to overlook the notepad and pen placed next to the saccharine breakfast dish.

_She wants to ask me about something, huh..._

“Well, go on then!” the baketress urged. “Sit down and enjoy!”

Sackboy nodded and sat in front of the plate, staring at the food hesitantly before he went to work on it. As he expected, it was just as scrumptious and flavorful as anything else Victoria made. He waited for her to begin talking at any moment as he ate, but to his surprise she remained quiet. It wasn’t until he had just a few bites left that she spoke up.

“So how have you been feeling, Sackboy?”

Sackboy jolted a bit in his seat, startled by her suddenly talking, but he quickly pulled himself together and gave her his usual smile and thumbs-up in response—she might have been looking to bring answers out of him, but that didn’t mean he would be willing to give them right away.

Victoria released a light sigh. “That’s what I figured you’d do. If you _really_ don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to, but...you’ve been looking noticeably troubled nowadays. I know I’ve said this before, but you need to remember that everyone in the Alliance _is_ here for you.”

Sackboy nodded, feeling a bit guilty about keeping her in the dark about how he felt. Even if he could bring himself to speak, however, and even if he could write things out, he knew he couldn’t find the words he wanted.

“Well, if you’re certain you’re all right...” Victoria looked into her teacup, as if she were carefully contemplating how to break a piece of heavy news to him. “...there actually is something in particular I wanted to tell you about.”

Sackboy looked up from the food he was now poking at with the fork, and nodded at her with interest as if prompting her to continue. And so, continue she did.

“We still have no idea what that black gunk is,” she said, “but thus far we’ve found it clogging up every sackbot’s head. It doesn’t seem to be coming out, no matter what we’ve tried—we even had a couple shockbots come over to use their positivitron beams against it, but it seems to regenerate almost as soon as it’s zapped! I don’t know if it’s due to distance or something else, but we don’t want to risk the shockbots as well by having them come closer.”

Sackboy nodded, his fork now rested on the plate as he paid full attention to her words. His stomach churned in worry, making him lose his appetite for the last few bits of the crêpes. To think it might have been a problem that wouldn’t go away seemed most alarming to him.

“I’m telling you about this because ever since whatever’s gotten into them got into them, every moment they’re up and running they always want to go after you.” The blonde’s eyebrows furrowed with concern as she added this. “And if something’s contaminated and hijacked their systems, that could mean that something dangerous is afoot.”

Sackboy felt an incredible uneasiness at the word “dangerous”, the muscles in his body tensing up. It was bad enough hearing about the lack of luck they’ve had with repairing the sackbots, and to consider the possibility that they wouldn’t be able to go back to the way they were. But the idea that the sackbots, of all things, might have been posing a threat to him seemed outright impossible. He couldn’t imagine it for the life of him—there was just no way that could happen, right?

Victoria must have noticed his distress, much to his chagrin, because her features took on an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Sackboy. I didn’t tell you this as a means to stress you out further—I know you’ve been stressed out enough with this sackbot business as is. I only wanted to let you know about it as a precaution. I just want to make certain that you can stay safe to the best of your ability…do you understand?”

Sackboy nodded and mustered up a faint smile, trying to reassure her that she didn’t need to worry so much over him. Because she really didn’t need to. Everything was fine. He had gone through difficult times before, what was one more to get past?

Everything was fine.

Wasn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmghhh dammit Sackboy you can't just keep bottling up your emotions like that
> 
> I was considering having them talk about Newton and making Victoria be all "sooo you and Newt what's up with that hmmm?" and Sackboy being all "nnnghhh nooooo ;;>////>;;" but I decided against it because it would feel weird doing that after such a somber conversation
> 
> But maybe in a future chapter? We shall see


	20. End of the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The part of the journey that Newton's dreaded most has finally arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe Newton is going to die in this chapter
> 
> I cannot believe Newton is going to die in this chapter
> 
> How could Newton do this? How could he die in this chapter?
> 
> I can't help you out of this one, Newton

The fateful day had finally arrived—the day in which even the most microscopic decisions Newton made would have a heavy impact on whether or not his life would be spared. In which the very slightest wrong move or word would unleash havoc upon the world and sign his death warrant…

_Oh, who am I kidding?! I’ve already signed my death warrant LONG AGO!!_

Newton had been a nervous wreck from the moment he woke up, frightened out of his wits by what might possibly transpire during their meeting with Pinky Buflooms. The tension had been building up inside of him this entire trip, growing thicker with each destination they’d left behind, and now it felt overflowing, as if it were going to spill out of him at any second. It was just too much for him to take, the overwhelming fear might just kill him before Pinky could even get the chance—

“Pull yourself together, Newton. And don’t dally—we don’t want to be late for the meeting.”

Newton forced himself out of his anxious trance at the sound of his father’s voice. He nodded, but as much as he wanted to regather his composure, he just couldn’t stop the violent trembling of his hands.

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this, son?” Captain Pud asked, giving him a worried look. “Don’t forget—if you’re feeling ill, we can take a raincheck on this visit and go home.”  
  
The idea of it felt so appealing to Newton, torturously so in fact, but deep inside his soul he knew it wasn’t an option. If he retreated now, this anxiety he felt would only be worse when they came back again, and Pinky would certainly be less than understanding about the ordeal when they returned. Not to mention that the point of this whole trip was to prove himself harmless, and the reputation of a coward would still be a rather dubious one to carry.

_But also…I HAVE to do this. Not just for Bunkum, or for Papa…_

“No no, I’m perfectly fine!” he reassured his father, putting on a brave smile. “Just a slight case of nerves is all. It’s too late to turn back now anyway…”

Captain Pud sighed, the look on his face making it easy to tell that he was still skeptical. “As I’ve said, you needn’t be so anxious about it. If she tries to hurt you—which I doubt greatly—I won’t let her.”

Newton nodded again, but he still felt incredibly uncertain about his father’s words. He wasn’t there to see how angry she was during the incident, after all, and though Newton had no control over his body at the time he had still witnessed everything that had transpired. How could anyone be so sure that the queen wouldn’t try to hurt him? And how could anyone be so willing to stand up for him if his anxieties came true?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Captain Pud told him, his voice taking on a softer tone. “You feel as if the world’s about to come to an end, but I need you to remember the reasons why it can’t.”

“What do you...mean?” Newton asked him, hesitation in his voice.

“Think about what’s going to happen after today. Think about all the plans we have for the future.” The bearded lightbulb-head grabbed Newton by the shoulders, as if to keep his mind from drifting away from reality. “All the inventions you’re going to build, all the things you’ve wanted to do to make Bunkum a better place.”

That didn’t convince Newton as much as he might have hoped it would. With his proudest invention being mentioned in a news article discussing whether or not he could have actually made it, and his latest plan to improve Bunkum going horribly wrong, how could it have convinced him?

“Tomorrow we’ll go back home,” Captain Pud continued, “and we’ll see your mother again. The world can’t end before you’ve seen your mother one more time, can it?”

Newton supposed that made more sense, although...

“And once we’re home and you’ve had a few days to rest up, we’ll be heading off to Craftworld.”

That was the statement that caught him off-guard. “Ah—uh-huh?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already. After all, there’s one more person you need to apologize to, remember?” Captain Pud chided him gently, raising an eyebrow in bemusement. “The world’s not going to end before we can take the opportunity, and it’s certainly not going to end while we’re gone. And it would just be in bad form for it to end right after we’ve gotten back, wouldn’t it?”

“S-Sackboy…” The name slipped out from him without him even realizing at first, but for some reason that name in particular started up his motivation.

“Who else?” Captain Pud asked, but his tone made it clear that he was only teasing. “Yes, obviously we’ll be meeting with Sackboy. You’ve got some explaining and apologizing to do for him, and I don’t think I ever thanked him properly for handling the whole situation. Perhaps we should invite him back over to Bunkum and prepare a feast for him…”  
  
Newton was doing his best not to space out again, but oddly enough the sound of his friend’s name seemed to pull him into some sort of trance, the reverie becoming deeper each time. Of course, his parents _still_ didn’t know about his secret visits with Sackboy, and he was still on the fence regarding whether or not he should ever tell them, but he knew that whenever this visit would happen it would be strange to feel so close to him when he had to pretend he hadn’t seen him the last few months…

“And who knows? If everything goes well, we might have you go back to school there. We know you’ve been dealing with self-doubt since the last semester you took, but as your former professor has said, everyone has ten thousand bad inventions in them…”

Newton wasn’t even paying attention to what his father was saying anymore, instead still lingering in his thoughts of the knitted hero. It wasn’t easy for him to describe, but for reasons unknown thinking about him made him feel warm and happy inside, as if gravity was losing its hold on him. The feeling was spreading throughout his entire body, and at that moment he had nearly forgotten how scared he was.

“…so with all of that ahead of us in the future, there’s not a chance that the world will end anytime soon. Do you understand, son?”  
  
The inventor just barely caught the last part of his father’s speech, but he nodded anyway. At the very least, he felt like he understood what he meant now.

_I’m not just doing this for Bunkum…_

“Well then! You look like you’re in better spirits already.”

_…or for my family…_

“Shall we get going then?” Captain Pud asked, smiling back at him before he headed towards the ship’s controls.

_…or for my reputation or future…_

“Ah—yes, of course!” he responded confidently. “Let us be off!”  
  
 _…but for the one who’s forgiven me and accepted me back into his life, the one who’s never given up on me no matter how atrociously I’d acted…_

He reached into his coat pocket as the airship began to take off, his hand grabbing onto the paper inside like his life depended on it.

_…for Sackboy…_

————

The entire flight to Bunkum Lagoon, Newton kept repeating the same thought in his head over and over. He’d also brought the paper out from his pocket once he was absolutely certain his father wouldn’t notice, and kept his gaze on the drawing on the other side.

There was Sackboy, cheering him on and supporting him every step of the way. With every second he stared at the doodle, he could feel his motivation surge, his motivation to go through this perilous day. There was not a chance of him allowing himself to let that sweet, smiling face down. Of course, that didn’t mean there was no chance of him _not_ coming back in one piece—that was something that would have to be determined by the powers that be.

But regardless of whatever would happen, Newton was set on working hard until his possible fiery death.

_…wow, this drawing really is working…I don’t feel the least bit shaken up by the idea of a fiery death right now!_

Still, he decided it would be best not to think about that anymore, lest the confident feeling within him end up wearing off. And that was easy enough to do until they had climbed down from the airship and began making their way to the palace where the queen Pinky Buflooms resided.

The steps Newton took towards the palace’s doors seemed to gradually grow slower and heavier as he came closer. He had just started wondering if his feet turned to stone when they finally made it. Then he saw the large doors slowly open, a creak and a reverb that followed ringing through the air to accompany the sight, and that was when he felt his stomach sink into an abyss once again.

He looked the drawing over again, focusing on the cheering Sackboy, and nodded to it as if he were reaffirming his resolve. Reluctantly, he placed the paper back into his coat pocket, making sure it was hidden deep enough inside so as not to fall out and become discovered. Once that was done he continued onward through the threshold, doing his best to quicken his pace before his father could worry over him any further.

They walked together down the long hallway, their footsteps against the marble flooring echoing up to the towering ceiling. Newton wondered if Pinky could hear them approaching from wherever she was—Captain Pud had stated earlier that they’d be meeting in the throne room, if he remembered correctly—and what exactly she had planned for them when they arrived there.

Or, more accurately, what she had planned for _him._

He thought back to the tasks he had to perform in the previous areas, and gulped in his anxiety. Manglewood was without a doubt the most mellow of them all, and he _still_ managed to collect a bit more trauma there from his experience with Matilda. And Ziggurat seemed quite peaceful (or maybe it was the freezing climate that kept everything standing still), though he remembered too well the chaos that erupted there yesterday due to his own carelessness. He could only hope that whatever Pinky had in store was something within his capabilities, and that luck would be siding with him each second of it.

After what felt to him like an eternity of lagging through an increasingly-stretching hallway, they finally arrived at the throne room’s entrance. Newton thought he might have seen his father give him a concerned look from out of the corner of his eye, but at this point in time he’d kept his own eyes locked on the door, mentally preparing himself for what fate might have had waiting for him inside.

He felt the older man’s hand pat him comfortingly on the shoulder before it went away to knock on the foreboding door.

“You may enter,” a feminine voice with a posh accent called out.

Captain Pud pushed the door open and took his son by the hand to lead him into the large, extravagant throne room, where right on the other side sat Pink Buflooms, dressed in her usual regal attire and donning her usual look of displeasure.

“Captain Pud,” she greeted, her voice conveying a civil tone despite her expression filled with dread. “How very good it is to see you again.”

“The pleasure is all ours, your highness,” Captain Pud responded, bowing out of respect. Newton did the same, following his example out of complete fear of doing anything wrong.

Pinky rested her gaze upon the younger lightbulb-head, and he swore for a split second he felt a guillotine fall and slice him in half. “I see you’ve brought your son along as well. How wonderful! The name is _Newton,_ is it not?”  
  
Newton forced himself to look up at her, trying not to think about howher cheery tone completely mismatched the frightful aura she radiated. “Y-Yes, ma’am, m-my name’s Newton…”

Pinky raised an eyebrow, her eyes growing sharper. “Yes, _ma’am?_ ”

“Y-Y-Yes, y-your highness! Yes, your highness! Your majesty!” Newton squeaked out, and it took all of his strength not to run away and cower right then and there.

The queen turned back to Captain Pud, skepticism crossing her face. “Is he feeling well, Captain? He looks as if he’s just been spit up by a great beast…”

Captain Pud nodded apologetically. “Please excuse him, your highness. He’s been so anxious to make amends with everyone, and he’s terrified as can be about getting a single thing wrong.”

“Hmm…well, it is pleasing to hear that he has the decency to feel terrified.” She looked back over at Newton again, eyebrows furrowed in contemplation. “As for your making amends…we have but one task _you_ would be able to perform here in Bunkum Lagoon.”  
  
“With all due respect, your highness,” Captain Pud cut in, “my boy might have his faults, but there are plenty of things he can do well in. If there is more you need him to do for you, please tell us and we’ll see how he can manage.”

“I didn’t mean it quite like that, Captain,” Pinky retorted, her voice becoming just a bit more gentle. “The other job we’d need assistance with requires flight, and if memory serves I do not believe your son can do that. The job I have for him is the only one that can be done by a sackperson—you must trust me on this.”

“Wh-Wh-What do you need me t-to do, ma—y-your majesty?” Newton stammered, shoving his hands into his coat pockets to keep the others from seeing their shaking.

The queen inhaled deeply, then exhaled heavily, making it entirely obvious just how hard she was trying to keep her composure intact. “We have a young lady who’s been struggling to build an Air Jouster, but has encountered the _minor_ setback of a certain _someone_ stealing all of her ideas…” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then opened them again. “…and most unfortunately, she has yet to get them back. It most likely won’t be such a grueling job for you—you might get some enjoyment out of it. In fact, you may even learn a thing or two from it.”  
  
Newton thought over the scenario, as if he could choose whether he would do it but knowing full well he had no choice. It didn’t seem incredibly difficult to him—building contraptions, especially those of the transportation variety, were his specialty if he did say so himself. And even if he was no good at it, he certainly enjoyed doing it, and he figured that if he could just ignore the feeling of dread that would undoubtedly hang over him all the while, he might enjoy this too.

“Well then?” Pinky demanded. “Will you accept this mission? You would do well _not_ to disappoint me.”

“I accept,” Newton answered. “I will not disappoint you.”

_…that’s right…I won’t disappoint you, dear chum!_

_  
_“You will not disappoint me, _what?_ ”

“…I will not disappoint you, your majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...wait, what?
> 
> Newton didn't die???
> 
> What?????
> 
> Oh well, he'll die in the next chapter for sure


	21. Picking up the pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton builds some stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super sorry for the long wait on this one, I am not good with these sorts of chapters
> 
> Can Newton go through the whole thing without dying?
> 
> Probably not but I guess we'll see

“I wonder if I’ve gone too easy on him,” Pinky mused, her eyes locked on the path she was walking across. “It would be quite the conundrum if he didn’t properly learn his lesson.”

“Newton is doing the best he can, your highness,” Captain Pud sighed as he walked alongside her. “Though I entirely understand your doubts, you should know that all he really wants is a bright future for everyone.”  
  
Pinky narrowed her eyes at him in disapproval. “Good sir, I know he’s your son, but that fool has released the dreaded Titans for cog’s sake! You _cannot_ expect me to believe that he truly has the best intentions in mind!”

Captain Pud locked his eyes on hers, a solemn and somewhat angered expression written on his glassy features. “Your highness…with all due respect, you wouldn’t know the half of my son’s intentions. You haven’t seen firsthand the sheer amount of effort he’s put into the repairs to Bunkum, nor have you borne witness to him waking up from various nightmares for a good portion of the past four months. You haven’t been at our home most nights when we drag him out of his room for dinner, convincing him the best we can that he deserves food just as much as anyone regardless of what he’s done. You have _not_ seen even a _fraction_ of just how much Newton’s struggled with himself, his past actions and his own expectations, and as such you cannot immediately deem him a lost cause.”

With how hard Pinky had been gritting her teeth at the adventurer’s words, one might have expected them to shatter right inside of her mouth. She seemed absolutely enraged and taken aback by the very concept of someone speaking out to her like that, as if she would spontaneously combust at any moment and take the rest of Bunkum with her. And yet even with this potent fury of hers, she still appeared to be holding herself back to the best of her ability, and Captain Pud could tell, that despite her anger, deep down she wanted Bunkum to be at peace just as much as everyone else did.

“I completely understand how you feel, your highness,” he went on. “I understand that you’re angry and upset, and you have each and every right to be. This debacle with Newton and the Titans has been truly terrible for everyone involved. All that I ask of you is your patience and understanding, your highness. It may be difficult to see for now, bu I promise you that my boy does mean well.”

The queen remained eerily silent after he had spoken, and her expression had become nearly impossible to get a read on. And with that, Captain Pud supposed that only time would tell what verdict she would pass onto Newton.

He only hoped that he hadn’t worsened the situation with his lecture.

————

Newton was not entirely certain of what to expect when he was dropped off at his assigned location. He had mixed feelings about the Lagoon overall, in fact, even discarding the horrid memories associated with it.

The area had a decent climate at least—a bit more humid than he preferred, but not too hot or cold—but he couldn’t say he cared very much for the overall aesthetic. There _was_ something to be said for a regal look, he thought, but the looks of this place appeared too over-the-top for his own liking. Of course, whether or not he liked it hardly mattered. He was only visiting, after all, and in any case it was none of his business what the queen or her subjects did with their home.

He trudged through the grass that brushed up against his fingertips, looking around for any sign of the person in need of help. As if on cue, a short young woman emerged from behind a large painting, somewhat resembling the small version of Toggle he’d encountered during the Titans’ rampage, dressed in goggles and a suit of armor. She seemed to carry an excitable demeanor, up until she came close enough to him.

“Hi there! My brain has left me for a short while. How is your mechanical sci—“ The eager smile on her face was quick to falter as her eyes widened with realization, no doubt recognizing who he was. “…oh. It’s _you._ ”

Newton bowed his head apologetically. “Yes, ma’am. As I’m sure you know, my name is Newton Pud. I’ve come to apologize for my regrettable actions and offer you my assistance with whatever you may need.”

The woman glared back at him, now maintaining a hostile stance. “And what can you possibly do for me? Are you just going to hand back over the inspiration you stole from me? If you think I’m going to buy that, you’ve got another thing coming, you old meanie!”  
  
Newton looked off to the side awkwardly. “I’m afraid I can’t help you with that...I’m a tad low in the inspiration department myself.” He mustered a small smile, doing his best to remain polite in spite of her mood. “However, I believe you mentioned something mechanical, yes? And I was told you needed help with building an...Air Jouster, I think it was called...?”

The bespectacled girl rose an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by this line of question, albeit still quite wary of him. “Did the queen tell you that? I am surprised your bulb is not in pieces...”

“Oh believe you me, I’m more surprised about that than anyone here,” Newton responded, chuckling nervously. “But anyhow...I may not be good with ideas, but I do know my way around machinery! I’d be happy to help you with your Air Jouster thingamajigs if you wanted me to...”

The girl stared at him in silence for a moment, deep in thought, as if she were planning a thorough examination of him. He felt rather uncomfortable with this if he was being honest, like he was being treated like some insect underneath a microscope, but he said nothing about that so as not to upset her further. It wasn’t as though he had any right to complain here, anyway.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity’s worth of quiet, she spoke again.

“All right, fine. If Queen Buflooms did not immediately kill you, I guess it’s okay. Don’t make me regret this.”

Relief washed over the lightbulb-head as she gestured towards the painting she had come out from. He was quick to follow her as she went back behind it.

“By the way, my name is Hildur.”

“Ah, I see. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hildur.”

“I wish I could say the same.”

He supposed that was fair enough.

————

The passage she guided him down led to a secretive yet still rather artsy-looking room, half of which seemed to be obscured by a red, velvet curtain. Newton took in his surroundings as soon as he had gone through the doorway, already looking around the place for potential parts to use for the project. He felt befuddled upon realizing that there were apparently none to be found—the room, while elegantly decorated, looked completely empty.

“Ehrm…did we go to the wrong room?” he asked, reanalyzing the room repeatedly in case he might have missed anything of importance. “I don’t see anything we could make an… _air-thingy_ out of…”

“An Air Jouster,” Hildur corrected him, clearly unimpressed by his loose grasp on vocabulary. “And do you really think I’d just leave my parts lying around all willy-nilly? It is a safety hazard! Not to mention it would be easy for thieves like you to steal them away.”

Newton tried not to let her remarks get to him and instead kept his mind focused on the task at hand. “I see...that’s quite right. But then, where could they be hiding?”

“Gee, I wonder,” Hildur said sarcastically, gesturing towards the curtain with her arm in a not-so-subtle manner. “What could possibly be inside this room that would hide something like that?”

Newton nodded as he understood her point, and he could already tell that this would indeed be a long day for him even with this single task to do. Soon enough the curtain was pulled aside, revealing a large assortment of various parts that ranged from chassis to wheels to even what looked like wings.

“You should thank that sackfellow for making things easier on you,” Hildur told him matter-of-factly. “He managed to unlock all of these parts during his time here. Sadly he did not manage to reach the 2000 mark, though he tried his best…”

Newton felt his stomach perform a somersault inside of him. If not even Sackboy, the most talented and patient person he’d ever known, could see this task to its completion, then how in the Imagisphere would he ever manage it?

_I knew it, my fate’s already been sealed from the nanosecond I stepped out of the airship, this whole thing is just the predator playing with its prey before it roasts and eats it alive! I was doomed to fail from the beginning, I’m going to DIE in this lagoon, I might even die a multitude of times—_

“AHEM!”

Newton was forced back into reality, now terrified all over again from these torturous thoughts. “Y-Yes! O-Of course! I’ll—I’ll get on it right away!”  
  
Hildur rose an eyebrow at the sudden change in mood. “You do not seem to be doing so well. Are you sure you’re up for this? I would hate for my parts to become broken or ruined by your wishy-washy incompetence…”

“I’ll…” Newton straightened his posture, hoping he’d feel more confident by doing so. “I’ll do the best that I can, ma’am. I can promise you that.”

He climbed up onto the platform previously obscured by the curtain, then slid himself onto a clear section of the floor where he could give the available parts surrounding him a good look-over. Before doing so, however, he took the paper out of his pocket one more time and stared intently at the drawing as if it would give him the answer to everything. He wondered if Sackboy might have been cheering him on from wherever he was, and he wished he could have seen him right then and there. But he also knew that the sooner he finished his work here, the sooner he’d be able to see him again.

_Who knows? I might just manage to pull this off—I might end up accomplishing something Sackboy couldn’t! Oh, imagine just how impressed he’d be with me..._

Securing that thought in his mind, Newton put the paper back in his pocket and set his sights back on the work cut out for him.

“Let’s see here,” he murmured, first going over the collection of chassis. “Fish bones seem awfully flimsy for a vehicle, I would think. And that iron looks much too heavy to keep off the ground...” He stood up on his feet and walked around carefully, scoping out what was laid in front of him. “If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that that wrench there would make the best chassis, as it’s made of a sturdy material and yet possibly light enough to fly a good distance through the air, but...”

“That’s what I thought too, when Sackboy picked it out,” Hildur retorted. “If it didn’t work for him, it certainly won’t work fo you.”

“Then...hmm...” Newton’s eyes glanced around from place to place, his glowing pupils seemingly unable to stop themselves on a particular sight, when they finally settled on an oversized cake. “...what kind of cake is that, ma’am?”

Hildur rose an eyebrow, as if she were wondering where he was going with this. “It’s a shortcake. Strawberry, in fact.”

Newton tapped on his glassy chin in thought, examining the cake. “A cake as a chassis? It seems unusual, but…” He thought back to when the crisis with the Negativitron was happening, to each wondrous contraption he witnessed the reveal of on the airship’s computer screen. He remembered the knack Victoria had with cakes, and how surprised he was by just how many things her pastries could be used for. Had he not seen that, he might have scoffed at the idea of a strawberry shortcake being used as a chassis, but…

Instead, he grabbed onto the edge of the cake and began to pull it towards the center.

“What in Bunkum are you doing?” Hildur asked him incredulously. “Can’t you just use your Popit instead of dragging the gigantic thing?”

“I haven’t got one,” the lightbulb head responded as he tugged at the cake, inwardly cursing his lack of strength training at this moment. “Don’t remember ever having one, in fact.”  
  
“You are kidding, right?” the bespectacled girl exclaimed, watching him in disbelief. “There’s no way you can build a decent Air Jouster without one!”  
  
Giving up on pulling and instead resorting to pushing, Newton shook his head. “I’ll find a way. I’ve got to.”

_If I’m going to see him again, I just have to!_

————

It took several hours to pull it off, and Newton’s muscles were aching like never before, but at long last the construction was complete. He was set on the cake chassis from the beginning, and once he had managed to move it to where he needed it to be, he decided on some cricket balls to use as wheels, figuring they’d be sturdy enough and be able to pick up enough speed. He then attached a few flappers to the top of the cake, believing that they’d be the best option for keeping the ride up in the air for longer, and feeling reassured by the fact that they’d have more control over them than the other options available. And finally, he picked out a couple of turbo-chargers, thinking that the extra boost they’d give would be welcome in this situation where he needed all the help he could get.

He’d felt proud of his creation just a short while ago, but now that it was being loaded onto the ramp he wasn’t feeling quite as confident anymore. He wasn’t sure if he had enough energy—physically _or_ mentally—to work on another all over again if this one failed. Oddly enough, however, Hildur seemed rather excited.

“I didn’t think you could build something like this!” she chirped, and Newton couldn’t tell if she had meant it as an insult or a compliment. “This steed actually looks very regal—a winner, I think!”

“Please,” Newton murmured, looking down at the ground, “don’t jinx it. If this goes wrong, I don’t think my heart could take it.”

“Pah, don’tbe such a worrywart,” Hildur chided him, slapping him on the arm. “This Jouster’s turned out fine! It will reach the 2000 mark for sure!”

Though she was positively radiating with optimism, none of it seemed to rub off on him. He couldn’t bear to watch as the contraption was launched into the air, and he barely mustered up the courage to peek through his fingers as it soared across. Everything seemed to be functioning well enough, but even so he closed the distance between his fingers once more. He wanted to pretend he’d built something competent for just a little while longer.

Almost a minute had gone by—but to Newton it felt like a full year—when he heard something crash into the ground. A shaky fear-filled cry slipped out of him as he did his best inside to accept his fate, only to be drowned out by someone’s cheer that could easily be mistaken by a roar.

“I don’t believe it! Did you see that?! I just can’t belive what I’m SEEING!!”

Newton’s hands were pulled away from his face, forcing him to look at what unfolded in front of him. The cake landed a good distance ahead of them, though its attachments had fallen off from the sheer impact of the landing. The cricket balls were rolling away whilst the flappers and turbo-boosters laid uselessly on the ground.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, a pathetic tone in his voice that he would usually hate and restrain but at this point saw no reason to do so. “I’m so, so sorry...I’ve ruined everything again...that’s—that’s all I’m ever good for—!!”

_I’m sorry, dear chum...it looks like I won’t be able to see you again, after all._

_“_ What are you TALKING about, you nut?! That was BRILLIANT!”

“Brilliant...?” Newton took a closer look at the scene. At first, he could still only see the destruction of the vehicle he’d worked so hard on, but his eyes soon followed where Hildur’s finger was pointing...

The now broken contraption had landed just under the 2100 mark, and right as he noticed that, confetti seemingly rained down from the heavens.

“We’ve made it!” Hildur hollered, beginning to dance around where she was. “We’ve finally made it! Oh yes!”

Relief began to settle inside of Newton right where the anxiety had been, his thought process finally slowing down so he could properly take in the currently joyful atmosphere around him. _I did it...I managed it...something Sackboy couldn’t do...I might have just saved my skin!_

Right on cue, he heard a slow clap from behind him, and the relief subsided a bit once he turned around to see Pinky waiting with his father in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that does it
> 
> Not even cake rides can save Newton now
> 
> Say your prayers, lightbulb man


	22. With the patience of the sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queen reaches her verdict, and we get a peek into Sackboy's private life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this it for Newton???
> 
> Will he die?????
> 
> Will Sackboy have to resort to dating a ghost???????
> 
> Let's find out nooooowwwww

“Well, well, well. I see you’ve actually managed it.”

Newton’s posture grew stiff as he watched her approach him, her dainty hands now clasped together. He couldn’t read the tone of her voice very well, and he could read her expression even less. He gulped nervously and adjusted his collar, suddenly feeling as if he were being deprived of oxygen as he waited for whatever she would do next.

“I must commend you,” she went on, her voice eerily calm. “You apparently possess more brains in that glowing head of yours than I’d originally thought.”

“Ah…th-thank you ma’a—I mean…your majesty,” Newton stammered out, throat feeling as dry as the skeleton of a person who’d never seen water before in their life.

Pinky turned her gaze to Hildur, who was standing just a few feet away, and her unreadable expression seemed to soften somehow. “Did you have a decent enough time, Miss Hildur? He did not cause any trouble for you, did he?”  
  
“Oh no, Queen Buflooms,” Hildur replied, shaking her head—or at least, what Newton could discern to be her head. “Surprisingly, he did not break anything! He actually didn’t seem to be the least bit evil, and he got our Air Jouster right past the finish line! I think he is in the clear, your highness.”

Pinky raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by this news, and Newton wondered if she would deny the words entirely and jump straight to executing him anyway. Instead, to his great surprise, she smiled, and it didn’t even look like the smile of a bloodthirsty beast—it was a real, genuine smile.

“I see,” she said, her voice taking on a gentle tone. “That is indeed splendid news. Thank you for informing me, Miss Hildur. You may go now.”

After Hildur turned around to head back home, the queen set her sights on Newton once again, narrowing her eyes. “It looks like you’ve done some amount of good today. Do you have anything to say about that?”

Newton remained still as a sculpture where he stood, somewhat shocked by what he had just heard. Hildur, who had gone through the entire day doubting him and acting hostile towards him at every turn, actually said something good about him? Was there a blue moon out tonight or some other strange phenomenon happening here?

“…I’m…only glad I could assist her well, your majesty,” he responded after a long moment of thought.

Pinky stared him down for a bit, and he wondered what exactly was going on that was making time slow down today, until her expression changed once again. It was neither a joyous one nor a wrathful one—it was rather calm, and yet not in the sinister way it was before.

“Very well,” she spoke. “Seeing as one of my loyal subjects appears unharmed, and considering what your father has told me…”  
  
Newton blinked in confusion. _What—? What did he tell her…?_

“…I hereby declare you fully pardoned of your crimes, Newton Pud.”

Newton’s eyes widened as he felt conflicted. Was surprise or relief more appropriate in this situation? The former seemed to get to him first.

“I’m…pardoned?” he echoed, just trying to process the news. “Y-You’re not joking, are you? I-I’m really…”  
  
 _I’m a…good person now?_

Pinky nodded stiffly. “The ice you stand on remains somewhat thin. If you commit another evil deed, I will be the first to punish you accordingly. But for now I, Pinky Buflooms, great queen of Bunkum and guardian of the Creative Heart, find you to be innocent.”

The shock soon subsided, making room for the relief to come crashing down on him. In an instant he found himself on his knees, a gentle breeze away from weeping.

“Oh, thank you— _thank you,_ your majesty!” he rejoiced, his shoulders beginning to shiver from the intensity of it all. “Thank you so much for this second chance! I promise, I will not let it go to waste!”  
  
“See that you don’t,” Pinky replied simply, her tone now showing a distinct lack of interest. “Now you’d better run along back home. Good day to you—and to you too, Captain Pud.”  
  
“Thank you, your highness. Good day.” Captain Pud bowed his head, then promptly led Newton out of the place and back into the airship.

The journey back to Needlepoint Peaks seemed to go by a lot faster, now that Newton no longer had any feelings of dread hanging over him. Now that the stress of making peace was behind him, he felt like he could take on the entire world. But there was only one thing he really wanted to do.

Once they made it back to the manor, Newton excused himself to his room, claiming he felt jet-lagged from the last days spent travelling the world and needed to rest up for the rest of the day. It seemed reasonable enough to his parents, so they let him be.

He went in and closed the door behind him, but instead of going to take a rest, he opened his closet door.

————

Sackboy laid down on his bed, back facing the ceiling as his hands moved across the paper, creating all sorts of lines that combined together and formed into a clear picture.

It had been another long yet uneventful day for him and the Alliance, still researching the sackbots’ current condition and trying to figure out what the material affecting their circuits was. They didn’t discover much of anything new, the only remotely exciting thing to happen being a small scare had when the gunk seemed to jump out of the sackbot’s opened body the second Sackboy had come closer to it. Clive stepped forward and pushed him away from the scene, immediately making the gunk fall back down and thankfully preventing anyone from getting hurt, but the fact that it seemed to move on its own only added more questions to the already endless list. All it had done to answer anything was confirm something they had just figured out before.

Whatever had gotten ahold of the sackbots was most definitely after Sackboy.

And so they had opted for him to stay away from Victoria’s laboratory for the time being, given that that was the area the sackbots were being investigated in. The situation only made the pit in his stomach grow deeper, and he felt all the more regretful that he still couldn’t do anything to help. He was never fond of being treated like a damsel in distress, and he was no fonder of it now. But he knew there was no point in dwelling on it further if there was nothing more he could do about it.

So instead of leaving himself alone with his anxious thoughts, Sackboy decided to focus on relaxing in his pod, occupying his eyes with his drawings and his ears with the music that played through the speakers. The song playing now was “Volver a Comenzar”, a favorite of his that took him back to memories from long ago. He even had an adequate translation of the lyrics memorized, which revealed the song’s message and made it all the more meaningful to him. However, ever since reuniting with a certain someone, the song’s oddly somber message about starting over hit him quite a bit differently.

“If I made a voyage to my insides,” he sang along as he did sometimes when he was by himself, keeping his voice soft and quiet, “and survived the laments…”  
  
The translated words didn’t fit in too well with the song’s actual melody, but Sackboy didn’t care—if anyone was really listening, he wouldn’t be singing at all. He felt like his mind was in various places, as if it were trying to be everywhere at once.

“I would ask for the force to say how sorry I am…”

His hand continued to travel around the paper, clutching the pen tightly without a single concrete idea in his head.

  
“If I made a voyage to my insides…”

His voice trailed off right around that point, but once again he didn’t care. He looked down at the paper to find some various rough sketches, none of which containing a proper theme or pattern to them. Except for maybe…

_…worries?_

It was just a few sackbots, with a Newton in the center of the page. Sackboy wasn’t entirely sure where that had come from, but something anxiety-related was the only guess he could come up with. Worrying over losing friends was the only possibility that made sense to him. But that wasn’t even at the front of his mind when he was drawing, so why would…?

Right then he heard the controller vibrate from the other side of the pod, interrupting his train of thought and sending him over immediately to see what it was.

_“Newton wishes to join you. Will you let him?”_

Sackboy had never hit the button to accept as fast in all of his life.

Almost as soon as he pushed it, Newton was teleported into the room, a bright smile lighting up his already glowing features. “How wonderful it is to see you again, old chum! It took me a bit to figure out how those coordinate doohickeys worked, but it seems I—“

Sackboy pulled him into a tight hug before he could finish his sentence, letting his excitement over his friend’s return get the better of him. Even now his coat felt incredibly soft and warm, a feeling that until now Sackboy had no idea how much he’d missed. He was a bit nervous for a second that Newton would find his sudden clinginess off-putting, but he soon felt better when the hug was quickly reciprocated, feeling even warmer now.

In the midst of it he heard Newton laugh, and felt the vibration in his chest that accompanied his voice. “Well now, you seem happy to see me. Did you miss me _that_ much while I was away?”

Sackboy pulled out of the hug to lightly jab him in the arm, giving him a look that he hoped would convey the message of “Oh, be quiet!”, but in a good-natured sense.

Newton chuckled in response. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just that...I’ve missed you too, you know.” The excitement in his smile died down, fading into something more serene. “So, how have you been? Have things been going all right here?”

Sackboy nodded, then grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the bed, dragging him down with him as he sat. More laughter erupted from the taller of the two as they both collapsed on the pile of pillows, a sound that Sackboy had to admit was rather pleasing to the ears.

“Why don’t you tell me all about it?” Newton asked, getting a sheet of paper from the stack messily laid out, and to Sackboy’s slight relief completely missing his earlier drawing. “Go on then!”  
  
While Sackboy didn’t really feel so keen on talking about the potential dangers of the sackbot situation, Newton looked so eager and hopeful that he couldn’t say no to his request. Not to mention the fact that he’d just gotten back from a seemingly stressful trip, and talking about something further away from home for him might serve as a good enough distraction…

The silent one began to write on the paper, noticing how Newton leaned forward with interest as he did so.

_not a lots been going on here since you were gone_

_I told you before but we found 4 sackbots with some gunk stuff inside them_

_No one in the alliance knows what it is just yet but apparently it wants something from me????_

_I mean I guess it makes sense cause they keep clinging to me when we find them buuut we don’t really now anything yet so there’s that_

_In other better news……Victoria gave me crepes!_

After taking some time to read through the note, Newton looked back over at him with concern written on his features. “They’re not…actively putting you in danger, are they? I understand wanting all hands on deck and doing everything you can to bring your friends to safety, but…that doesn’t mean you should put your own safety at stake.”

Sackboy smiled at him sincerely, wanting to tell him that everything would turn out okay, that he wasn’t anywhere near the risk of being hurt. But something kept the words from coming out.

Newton sighed, clearly still worried by the possibility regardless of how likely it truly was, but managing a smile in return nonetheless. “I know, I know…you’re more than capable enough to handle yourself. I just really care about you, and…I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, okay?”

Sackboy patted the lightbulb-head on the shoulder before taking the pen and paper back in his hands to write a new message.

_you dont have to worry about that!_

_We’ve been through bad stuff before so even if this gets bad we’ll get through it again_

_The alliance is full of good and smart people that know whats best in times like this_

_I’ll be fine :)_

“If you say so…” Newton didn’t fully shake off the unease from his expression, but his smile became relaxed for the most part.“I’ll still worry, of course, but I’ll trust your judgment.”

Sackboy wrote a new set of words on the paper, looking for a change in topic.

_What about you? How did the trip go?_

“Oh, it was…certainly a long one,” Newton answered, now appearing rather tired. “To be more specific, today felt like it was never going to end. I’d been stressing nonstop about what _she_ would do to me…” His eyes perked up again, if only a little. “But she never laid a hand on me! Can you believe it? I made it out of Bunkum Lagoon without a single scratch on my person! Although my limbs have been aching quite a bit from the job I had to do…”

Sackboy tilted his head to the side curiously, wanting to hear more about his friend’s whereabouts. Something about listening to Newton talk felt… _right_ to him. He didn’t know how exactly to describe it—all he knew was that he liked it. Whether it had anything to do with what he was saying or it was just about hearing his voice, he just found it enjoyable.

“Ah, well…I had to build a vehicle of some sort for this lady back at the lagoon. Some…air-jousty thing? I’m a bit fuzzy on that.” Newton’s face suddenly brightened quite a bit. “And wouldn’t you know it, I managed to build a good one on my first go! Granted, it crashed into the ground and was absolutely destroyed—I’m not sure if they’re supposed to do that—but it got to where she wanted it to be and I suppose that was what counted!”  
  
Before Sackboy could have processed it, he found that the inventor was now leaning up extremely close to him. “What do you think? Impressive, right? Are you proud of me?”  
  
Sackboy held back a fit of giggles at how intense Newton was being, and he backed away ever-so-slightly just to reach for the pen and paper again to give a reply.

_That’s amazing Newton!!!!  
I am really really proud of you! And not just for making a good air jouster (but that _ _is_ _really cool—I didnt end up doing it right when I was there!)_

_Im also proud of you for getting through all that, I know you were super nervous about everything from your messages and I think you were really brave!!_

_Im happy that it’s all behind you now!_

Newton took his time reading through the note, and Sackboy wondered if he might have been too overbearing in his writing, but he soon noticed something in his glowing eyes becoming more emotional. If he didn’t know better he would think he was close to tears, but he wasn’t sure of how that would even work given what he was made up of.

“…thank you, chum,” Newton finally said after a long silent moment, looking as if he was doing his best to keep himself together. “Your kind words…they really mean a lot to me. _Everything_ you’ve been doing actually, spending time with me and letting me accompany you…” The knitted hero thought he could have seen his lip tremble, but it was so subtle he wondered if he might have been mistaken. “…I’ll never be able to thank you enough. You really are an incredible person, and an even better friend.”

Sackboy hugged Newton once again, tightly wrapping his arms around his shoulders, and he was hugged back almost immediately. He wasn’t quite used to this much hugging in one day, but he could tell that his friend was still somewhat vulnerable from the events of the past few days, and he figured that this was the best form of comfort—even if words _were_ an option for him.

They parted from each others’ arms after not too long, and for a little while they just seemed to sit still and watch the other awkwardly, expressions difficult to get a read on. Newton broke the silence soon enough, clearing his throat.

“Well, I…think it’s best if I get going now.” He smiled apologetically. “Not that I don’t want to spend more time with you of course—but it’s been a long day, you understand, and I just wanted to stop by and catch up with you before going back to rest up.”

Sackboy nodded and gave a thumbs-up to let him know he understood. He _did_ seem fairly tired earlier, after all…

“But, before I go…would you mind if I took these notes with me? I just…really like reading what you have to say, and…”

Newton’s voice began to trail off, but he didn’t need to say anymore as Sackboy was already handing him the paper with his writing on it with a smile.

“Thank you again, old chum,” Newton responded gratefully. “And…perhaps tomorrow we could meet up somewhere? If you want to?”  
  
Sackboy gave a thumbs-up again, approving the suggestion. He then watched as Newton made his way to the pod’s exit, waving to him before he crossed the threshold.

“Until next time, Sackboy! Take care!”

And with that, he was gone.

Sackboy went back to his bed and lied down on his back this time around, somehow unable to stop smiling. He couldn’t really explain it, but he was in a very good mood at this moment. He felt light and warm and happy, as if he were floating off the floor. He wasn’t certain what emotion it was, but oddly enough he seemed to associate it with some things and people he’d seen before.

It made him think of when he’d see Larry jump to Victoria’s side. Or when he’d seen Clive and Eve form an unexpected bond. Or even when he’d seen Avalon right behind Clive in his factory in the middle of the night. What he was feeling…

_Is this love?_

Even if it was, and even knowing nothing about what to do with it, that didn’t change how _amazing_ it felt to Sackboy. He rolled back and forth on the bed as laughter bubbled up within him, his body trembling a little from how giddy it made him feel. He was in love, and it felt as unbelievably wonderful as everyone who talked about it made it sound.

And Newton was the one who set these feelings in motion.

Sackboy grabbed one of the many pillows, holding tightly to it as he let the sensation wash over him. Though it was a great feeling, he’d also heard about what typically came with it—heartache, confusion and the like—and he couldn’t say he liked the idea of that. But he was sure that this would sort itself out in time, and that he would soon know of what to do.

Until then, he would just enjoy the floaty and happy feelings it gave him.

_I can’t wait to see Newton again tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooowwww
> 
> Wooooooooowwwwww
> 
> Can you believe that??????
> 
> A title drop
> 
> I'd better pick it up again so I don't lose it


	23. Uncovered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Newton tries to make sense of his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh I have mixed feelings about this chapter
> 
> Like the first part is fine I think, but the later part is too "doing things"-y and not as "talking and feeling things"-y as I wanted
> 
> Uuughhh I am fickle and unsure of myself
> 
> But I hope this one is decent at least

Newton was lost in thought the next morning at breakfast.

It was just him and his mother at the table today, as his father had already left the manor earlier for his work. As Nana Pud drank her tea and finished her breakfast, Newton took longer on his, playing with his food and twirling a spoon around in the cup. The clinking of the utensil against the cup did nothing to jolt him out of his thoughts, however.

He’d had this issue pressing on his mind for a good while now, but as to which precise moment it might have began he had no clue. It started off as simply wanting to make amends with Sackboy, but then it grew into looking forward to the next time they would meet up, and then seemingly out of nowhere a protective urge developed within him. He then wanted to help out the silent hero with his troubles, not even thinking about it as a means to pay him back so much as a means to see him able to relax. And _then_ he’d started feeling… _those_ things.

The times in which he’d experience warm, fluttery feelings inside his chest became more frequent. The strange desire he had for something somehow deeper than “best friendship” grew more powerful. And he’d been relying on the promise of seeing him again as motivation to survive through the tasks during his travels. All of this was entirely new to him, he had only a slight idea what it was exactly and he had even less of an idea of what to do with it.

“Newty, could you please stop tapping on your cup? It’s getting too noisy for my liking. And you’d best finish your breakfast before it gets too cold.”

“Ah—ehrm, sorry about that, Mumsy.” Newton let go of the spoon, a bit embarrassed from being caught.

Nana Pud furrowed her eyebrows in concern. “You’re not dealing with appetite loss again, are you? I’d have thought you’d be feeling better after the trip…”  
  
“Oh no no! I feel fine, really! I’m sorry to have worried you.” Newton looked down at his lap, fidgeting a bit in his seat. “I’ve just…been thinking of something strange today is all.”  
  
“Oh? Something strange?” Nana Pud gave him a puzzled look. “Care to share with me what it is?”

Newton had mixed feelings about telling her about this. He knew how sentimental she tended to get, and if she became overly-motherly about his hunch he would end up feeling awkward for the rest of the day.

_But,_ he thought, _I suppose if anyone has experience with this, it’s her…_

“…how do you know when you’re…feeling something for someone?” he asked her shyly.

As he expected, but much to his dismay, her eyes lit up with great interest. She stood up from her seat and hurried over to him, eager for details like a hungry cat for a trapped mouse. “What’s this? Is my Newty _really_ asking for romance advice? Whatever could have brought this on?”

Newton turned his head away from his mother, his face heating up from embarrassment. “It—It’s not what you think! I was only wondering…just…what to look out for regarding that. What it’s really like.”

Nana Pud rolled her eyes at him, a playful smirk on her face, before going back to her seat. “Well, I imagine it’s different for everyone. But when I met your father, it was a bit more difficult—he was always so wrapped up in inventing and travelling all around Bunkum, getting to know him for who he was wasn’t easy at all. But then I finally held him in a proper conversation, and before you knew it we became a great team!”

A fire began to blossom in her eyes, no doubt a reflection of the fire in her heart. “As we covered more ground and worked on new creations together, I slowly but surely fell in love with him. His great courage, his vast intelligence, his immovable integrity...I couldn’t tell you when or how I knew. At some point, I just did.”

Newton nodded, slowly getting an understanding on the matter. Her talk of not knowing when or how sounded quite familiar to him, just about the same thing he was going through.

“We even married while we ventured, if you can believe it! Although I eventually had to stop when we learned you were on the way, and when you were born I wanted to spend more time with you.” The playful grin returned to her face, only this time there seemed to be much more bittersweetness behind it. “And now here you are, my darling little Newty, already all grown up and finding a love of his own...”

“M-Mumsy!!” Newton stammered, unbearably flustered by the last thing she had said. “I’ve already told you, it’s not like that!!”

“If you say so,” Nana Pud chuckled. He could tell she wasn’t buying it, but at that moment all he cared about was pushing away his embarrassment. That and figuring out his own mess of emotions.

“So...if I were to pursue someone I fancied, hypothetically,” he surmised, tapping on his glassy chin in contemplation, “I should lure them in by going away on adventures often, then talk to them and bring them with me on more adventures...?”

“I wouldn’t really suggest that,” Nana Pud answered with a shake of her head, making an expression as if to ask _How in cog did you reach that conclusion?_ “As I’ve said, it’s different for everybody. The best thing for you to do would be to talk to them and learn more about them, and as you’re around them more you’ll find your feelings soon enough.”

“Hmm...” It sounded like a reasonable idea to Newton. He was going to be spending time with Sackboy later today anyway—unbeknownst to his parents, of course. “All right. I’ll keep that in mind!”

“Just make sure you don’t grow up too fast, okay?” Nana Pud teased, smirking at him again.

“MUMSY!!!!”

————

Sackboy waited with anticipation on the bridge for Newton to show up, the white sequin dress he was wearing gleaming in the sunlight. The warm and floaty feelings were still going through his system, and they felt even more intoxicating today, giving him a small surplus of energy. He held onto the rails, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, feeling like he could just fly off at any moment from the excitement he felt.

After waiting a short while longer he heard footsteps rush up behind him, and he twirled back around to see Newton approaching him, the usual cordial smile on his glowing features.

“Ah, good morning, dear friend!” he greeted him. “Sorry to have kept you waiting. But I am here now and ready to go with you!”

Sackboy nodded, then offered a hand out to Newton, who took it right away. He then led him away from the bridge, and guided him towards a certain place.

“So, where are we off to today?” the lightbulb-head asked him with a curious smile. “Are we going to that baker lady? Or the factory? Or perhaps that pool…bath…place?”  
  
Stifling a small giggle, Sackboy only winked at him and put a finger to his lips. He then turned his focus back to walking towards the destination he had decided on. He had to admit, it was sort of fun acting secretive and sneaky like this. He felt a little bad keeping Newton in suspense, but he knew that he’d be very happy with the upcoming surprise.

Soon enough, the two of them arrived where he wanted them to be.

————

Newton could hardly believe what he was looking at when the two of them approached the building, and his disbelief only grew when they went inside.

“Is this…Avalonia?” he asked, looking around the futuristic area with wide eyes. “ _The_ Avalonia, home of Avalon Centrifuge?”

Sackboy nodded and let go of his hand, then held his arms out as if he were presenting the room to him. He looked rather proud of himself, and Newton wasn’t used to seeing such confidence on him, but he had to admit that it looked really cute.

_Wait a minute…how long have I been thinking things like that? I mean—granted, it IS true, you don’t have to be attracted to him to think he’s adorable, but—wait, what?!_

Before Newton could continue second-guessing himself some more, a bold voice bellowed over the speaker.

“WELCOME, VISITORS, TO THE TECHNOLOGICAL UTOPIA KNOWN AS AVALONIA, THE HEART OF CRAFTWORLD THAT WILL REVOLUTIONIZE THE IMAGISPHERE AS YOU KNOW IT!”

As his voice echoed throughout the room, Avalon’s winged throne rose up from the floor, the orange-haired man lounging nonchalantly in the seat. Once it stopped moving he leapt off and landed right in front of the pair, wearing his usual cocky grin on his face.

“How’s it going, Ace?” he greeted Sackboy. “Glad you could make it. And who’s this guy with you?”

Newton bowed, feeling quite humbled in the presence of his old idol. “I’m Newton Pud, sir. We’ve met just the other day actually, at Da Vinci’s hideout? It’s an honor to see you again.”  
  
Avalon’s eyebrows furrowed in thought, as if he were digging through his memories. “Hm…? Oh yeah, I remember you. You’re that weird lightbulb guy who got into the hideout that one time, right?”  
  
Newton’s excitement faltered at his words. “Um…yes, I suppose I am. I’m a friend of Sackboy’s, and we were going to do something together today…”  
  
Sackboy patted Newton on the shoulder, most likely an attempt to reassure him, then locked arms with him and nodded enthusiastically, pointing at him with his free hand as if emphasizing his agreement with him. Newton found it a bit odd, but he figured it was the best one could do without a voice.

“I see…so you two really are best friends after all, huh.” The suspicion in Avalon’s expression began to tone down. “Well, that seems to check out, I guess.” He then leaned in closer to Newton, narrowing his eyes. “But if I find out about you doing anything to hurt the kid, you’ll have the emperor of science to contend with, lightbulb boy.”

Newton’s stomach churned in anxiety over Avalon’s sudden serious aura—it was nothing in comparison to the fear he’d felt around Pinky, but it was there nonetheless. “Oh, you’ve—you have no need to worry about that! I’ll make sure not a single string of yarn on him is out of place!”  
  
“Hmm…very well!” Avalon turned away from them and headed back to his throne. “My advanced armaments are all open for a test drive, if that’s what you’re looking for. Have fun, you two!”  
  
With that, Avalon seemed to disappear almost as quickly as he had appeared. As soon as he was out of sight, Newton turned to face Sackboy with a somewhat tired look.

“Are all of your friends this intense, dear chum?” he asked him.

The silent hero shrugged his shoulders, and Newton didn’t know how to interpret that gesture. But he decided it would be the best answer he’d get.

_It’s not too far-fetched that Sackboy has so many overprotective friends,_ he thought to himself. _Maybe he’s the type of person you just immediately get the urge to protect…he’s surrounded by all sorts of people who love him. And now I’m on that list of people…WAIT!_

Just as he caught himself on that last thought, a knitted hand waved in front of his face. He snapped back into reality to see Sackboy waiting in front of him, a small smile on his face and a mild concern in his button eyes.

“Ah—my apologies, chum!” Newton chuckled nervously. “I seem to be spacing out more lately…”

Sackboy grabbed his hand once again and led him over to the levers dangling from the ceiling. He then gestured towards the levers, as if inviting him to pull on any of them.

“Hmm…how intriguing,” Newton mused as he walked up to the levers. He looked them over, wondering which one to pull first, before settling on the middle one for no particular reason. A hatch opened up as soon as he did so, and he jumped back in surprise when a large, fluffy robotic dog fell down from it.

“…this is…a MechaPup!” Newton circled around the device, positively ecstatic. “I’ve never seen one of these in person before—only from the pictures my father brought back from his travels, and also…!”  
  
The lightbulb-head cut himself off before he could give away any sensitive information, but when he turned his head back to Sackboy he was relieved to see that his friend most likely didn’t pick up on it anyway. Instead the smaller one was writing something down on a paper he presumably pulled out from his Popit, and after a moment he handed it over to him.

_sorry about Avalon, he’s been on high alert lately since the sackbot thing happened_

_Anyway I brought you here as a congratulations/welcome back kinda present? I thought you needed a day of just having fun and seeing cool things after your trip._

_you can test out whatever inventions you want in here - there’s the mechapup, the robobun and the hamstertron2000, we can play with any of them as long as we don’t break anything!_

_So please enjoy yourself today :)_

A surplus of fluttery feelings flooded Newton’s insides as he read through the note, and he hoped to whoever was out there that it didn’t show itself on his face. Trying not to think about potentially embarrassing himself, he smiled warmly at Sackboy, the hand grasping the note holding it closer to his chest.

“You truly are a great friend, Sackboy,” he said, sincerity in his tone. “The best anyone could ever hope to have.”

Sackboy nodded hurriedly and pulled him towards the MechaPup, evidently eager to get him to try it out. The both of them climbed up onto it, and Newton sat at the controls with his quiet friend right behind him.

“You, ah, may need to show me how these controls work, old chum,” he said sheepishly. “I’ve never piloted one of these things before.”

Sackboy pointed to a joystick on the contraption, and Newton placed his hand on top of it. He was still hesitating, however, and it must have showed on his face because Sackboy grabbed the joystick as well, covering Newton’s hand with his own, and then moved it to the right, causing the MechaPup to move in the same direction. Newton felt his face grow hotter, and he noticed that the usual yellow glow of his features was now accompanied by a new, softer pink glow. He hoped that Sackboy wouldn’t notice, and to his continuing luck he seemed oblivious when he looked back at him, his face forming an expression as if to ask if he needed more assistance.

“…if you could show me just a bit more,” Newton requested, totally just to be certain of what he was doing and not at all to feel Sackboy’s hand on his own for a little longer, “I’d greatly appreciate it…”

The silent one nodded and nudged him with his other hand to make him look forward again. Once he did so, Sackboy moved the joystick in the other direction, which in turn made the MechaPup move accordingly. He moved it back to its original path, and Newton could feel his grasp tighten on the stick—and by extension, his hand. As warm as he was beginning to feel, and as fluttery as his insides were, he still refused to point this out.

“What about this button here?” he asked, pressing the button on the other side of the device before even getting some sort of answer. As soon as his finger hit the button, his ears were greeted by the sound of a loud bark, and the rest of his senses by a rumbling sensation sent across the room. He looked back at Sackboy, feeling startled. “Wow…I’ve heard about the impressive sonic bark these doohickeys give off, but I’ve never known what it’d be like to actually experience it…”  
  
He pressed the button again, creating the exact same result, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Who knew this would be so much fun?!” he exclaimed, hitting the button several more times much to the dismay of anyone on the same floor who could either hear and/or had a delicate project they were working on.

After moving the MechaPup around some more and causing more annoying and yet somewhat endearing noise, the pair decided to try out another mechanism.

“I wonder what this one will send us,” Newton thought aloud, and once he pulled it a round, fuzzy machine that resembled a hamster fell out. “Aha! This is the Hamstertron 2000, correct?”

Sackboy nodded excitedly and gestured towards the seat near the controller, as if inviting Newton to take the wheel once again.

This time, however, Newton shook his head to decline. “How about you take control this time, old chum? I’m sure I’ll enjoy the ride nonetheless. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

Sackboy shrugged dismissively and climbed into the seat, preparing the controls while Newton sat behind him and held onto him tightly. If he remembered the events he watched from the airship correctly, it would be quite a wild ride. And his memory was correct indeed, because the Hamstertron sped through the halls, going at least ten times faster than the MechaPup had. He was only grateful that he’d fit his hat extra tightly on his head today.

“WhooooooooOOOOOOAAAAAAaaaaa—!!” he hollered, clinging tightly to his friend as they sped and spun. It was thrilling to be certain, though maybe a bit too much. _Maybe I’ll end up losing my head by the end of this…_

Oddly enough, however, he wasn’t so freaked out about that thought. It seemed that nothing felt as catastrophic whenever he was with Sackboy.

They went on like this for a while, but the excessive pace and dizziness grew old to both of them after a while. After staggering back to where they started, Newton pulled on the last lever, summoning a fluffy robotic rabbit from the hatch it was connected to.

“And this is the RoboBun, I presume?” Newton asked. “I must admit, the faces look somewhat uncanny…”

The two of them climbed up onto the RoboBun, sitting side by side and sharing the mechanism’s control panel. The controls were easy enough to figure out this time around, if also rather clunky. Newton was never such a fan of extremely bumpy rides, but it was still fun to jump up to great heights he couldn’t reach on his own. It was fine up until he’d used the slam attack function on accident, and once the machine hit the floor he was sent flying off of it and soaring across the room.

Newton cried out, inwardly praying to cog that the glass of his bulb was sturdy enough to hold up after hitting the floor. But as he flew he could hear the RoboBun crash into the floor again, and soon after he saw Sackboy fly through the air after him, grabbing onto his shoulders once they were close enough. Right as they approached the floor, the lightbulb-head squeezed his eyes shut…

…only to feel like he was flipped over at the last second, and while he felt his legs hit the ground, his head hit something soft and slightly fuzzy. After getting over a temporary stupor, he pushed himself up off the floor and found himself towering over Sackboy, who was laid down beneath him and (possibly? Inaudibly?) groaning in pain.

Newton immediately moved aside and sat next to Sackboy, grabbing his shoulders as he prepared to examine him. His heart pounded with immense worry as he looked him over, only growing worse the longer it took him to open his eyes (despite the fact that it was really only a few seconds).

_No no no no no, please be all right…I’d never forgive myself if I hurt my little chum…_

Fortunately, Sackboy’s eyes opened up again, and he sat himself upright, giving him a small smile as if to let him know he was okay. The inventor released a sigh of relief and leaned in closer to examine him more thoroughly, jolting in panic when he saw a small tear on his back.

“Oh dear, the landing hurt you,” he observed, voice full of anxiety and woe. “I’m so sorry, dear chum, I should have been more careful with that—“

Sackboy put a finger against his mouth, stopping him mid-sentence. He continued to smile the same reassuring smile at him, apparently insistent in his claim of being fine, but Newton just couldn’t let go of it that easily.

“But…But your fabric’s been damaged! At least let me sew it back up, I’m not too shabby with—“

Sackboy shook his head, holding his hands up in front of him. Newton huffed in frustration—his friend could be so _stubborn_ sometimes—but he really should trust him, shouldn’t he?

“All right, but…if you need any help at all, you’ll let me know, won’t you?” he asked, reaching over and grabbing his hands. Sackboy gave his hands a gentle squeeze in return, and Newton took that as the closest thing to a yes.

Both of them having just been through an ordeal, they sat still there for a few moments, until Newton realized just what he was doing. Holding Sackboy’s hands, worrying over his wounds… _and…my word, his hands are so soft…and persistent as he may be, that smile is absolutely beautiful…_

Before Newton realized it, the pink glow had returned to his face again. The room became too hot for him, and fluttering became too intense, and his heart was beating too hard—

“Well,” he said, breaking the silence, “if you’re sure you’ll be all right, I’d better get back home. My parents still don’t know about any of this, and I wouldn’t want to raise suspicion…you understand?”

Sackboy nodded and pulled his hands out of Newton’s grasp—Newton didn’t even realize he was still holding them, much to his embarrassment—then stood up on his feet. Newton was quick to follow suit, and the pair headed out of Avalonia and back to the bridge. They waved goodbye to each other before Newton stepped in his waiting chamber and was sent back to Bunkum.

Now back in the privacy and comfort of his bedroom, he felt like he was cooling down a bit. But the unfamiliar emotions were still there inside of him, it felt like his brain was being played with by some mysterious force and it was all too overwhelming for him.

_I guess…this all but confirms it,_ he thought to himself as he collapsed on the bed. _But if that’s true…what do I do about it now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy when he's in love: (just accepts it and enjoys the ride)
> 
> Newton when he's in love: (pulls an all-nighter with calculators and abacuses)
> 
> Just be boyfriends already, jeez


	24. What's my motivation?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton goes to Marlon for advice on his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marlon's back, Marlon's back, Marlon's back, Marlon's back -tosses confetti-
> 
> Normally I'm better with dialogue-heavy chapters but this one just felt weird
> 
> Oh well

Looking at your back in the mirror was a tricky thing, as Sackboy had discovered later in the day. And figuring out how to properly bandage your back was even trickier.

Sackboy grumbled in annoyance as he reached for the particular spot, trying to properly lay the bandage where the damage had been done. He could reach his arm to the right area, but when it came to applying it the thing flopped downward, dangling uselessly in his hand. He let out a huff as it failed again for the umpteenth time.

_Maybe I should’ve let Newton fix me up...but it’s barely there, and it doesn’t even hurt!_

Deciding it to be a pointless endeavor, Sackboy put the bandage back in his Popit and flopped back down on the bed, smiling a little as he thought about the earlier events of the day. Hanging out with Newton today was so much fun, a great time he’d wanted to never end. And he had to admit that feeling the inventor hold onto him so tightly was very nice. Just replaying it in his head made him giggle to himself, imagining Newton’s arms around him, and his hands holding his own.

If these feelings got any more powerful, he’d just end up floating away.

_Newton seemed kinda in a hurry to go home, though,_ Sackboy thought to himself, sitting himself upright. _I get not wanting to raise suspicion, but what if it’s not just that? Did I do something wrong and he just didn’t wanna go into it? What if he…knows?_

Sackboy shook his head, dismissing the last thought immediately. There was no way Newton knew—he himself didn’t really know until the previous night—and he didn’t recall acting any differently during the hang-out. Maybe slightly more touchy-feely than usual, but that wasn’t super out-of-character for him, was it? He didn’t think so, but he supposed other people might have looked at it differently.

_I’m just being paranoid…I hope. I mean, if I did something wrong, Newton would tell me, wouldn’t he?_

————

Marlon sat under the Great Tree, sipping on a Neapolitan milkshake as he casually observed his surroundings. It was a peaceful day in Manglewood so far, and it looked like it was going to continue as such. The majority of the days spent here were calm actually, and while some might complain about that and try to seek more chaotic excitement, Marlon was fine with it all the same. He was the type of person to roll with the punches and work with whatever life would throw at him.

Well today, life was apparently throwing him a confused lightbulb-head in desperate need of guidance.

Marlon looked up from his drink at the sound of rapid footsteps coming near him, and before he knew it there Newton was, right in front of him and catching his breath. He put his shake down and stood up from where he’d been sitting, flashing his normal welcoming grin.

“Hey, Newt,” he greeted. “Didn’t expect to see you back on the set so soon. Did you need something?”

Newton was still bent over panting, clearly having just ran over here as fast as his legs would allow. Marlon waited patiently as he watched him try to get his bearings, and then after a minute or so he heard him speak up.

“…I…needed…to talk…t’you…”

“You should sit down,” Marlon urged, leading the inventor to where he’d sat. “You want the same shake as last time?”  
  
“That…would…b’lovely,” Newton managed in between breaths.

The film-haired man was quick to whip up a butterscotch-and-caramel shake, and even quicker to deliver it to Newton, who took it right away and sipped on it non-stop until there was half of it left. Once he was done with his long sip, he looked back up at Marlon, appearing more refreshed and energized.

“Thank you, Mr. Random,” he sighed. “I needed that.”

“You can just call me Marlon,” Marlon chuckled. “And going by how you ran all the way here, it looks like you needed something else. Care to tell me what it is?”

“Actually, yes…if it’s fine with you…” Newton’s expression grew shyer, and he ducked his head down again, very clearly feeling uncertain of himself. “…you remember Sackboy, don’t you?”

“Ah, you mean Cloth Kid? The one who helped clean up that whole Titans mess?” Marlon reminisced. “Yeah, he was a pretty cool guy. Just wish I was able to give him my autograph as thanks before he took off. What about him?”  
  
Newton fidgeted in his seat, his self-doubt growing more apparent.

“C’mon, Newt,” Marlon reassured him. “Whatever you gotta tell me, I’m all ears. There’s no judgment here in Manglewood.”

“Do you…Do you think he would like me?” Newton asked, twiddling his thumbs.

“Well, sure!” Marlon answered honestly. “You two might’ve had conflict in the past, but Cloth Kid’s as patient as they come. When the doorway opens up again you guys’ll definitely patch things up!”

“...do you...d-do you think he w-would... _like_ me?” Newton stammered out the question, this time putting an odd emphasis on the word “like”.

The actor’s eyebrows rose as he realized exactly what he meant. “Oh. OH. Well. Uh, that’s...kinda out there. Isn’t it pretty early to be thinking about that? I mean, it’s been four months, and you didn’t really part on the best terms...”

Newton went silent.

“... _did_ you see him again?” Marlon asked, a bit confused. “How would that even happen anyway?”

“...I...may or may not have put together a machine that allows me to be transported to and from Craftworld...”

The inventor’s voice was extremely quiet when he explained this, to the point where he was almost inaudible. However, Marlon had a good set of ears on him (...somewhere) and thus managed to make out what he was saying.

“Newton!” he gasped in surprise. “Are you serious? Do your parents know about this?”

“No,” Newton murmured. “I don’t think so, at least...”

Marlon shook his head and sighed, trying to wrap his brain around the situation. “You’re on a whole other level, Newt...” His brow furrowed in concern as he looked back up, eyeing Newton like a teacher would a troublemaking student. “You know they’re gonna figure it out sooner or later, right? And the longer you wait to tell them, the worse it’ll be.”

Newton hugged himself, his expression looking more fearful than anything else. “I know...I just...I...I-I...just...”

Marlon grabbed Newton’s shoulders and gently shook him. “Hey hey, easy. I’m not gonna tell them. That’s on you. There’s no need to be so freaked out.”

Newton nodded, the fear in his yellow eyes dying down only slightly.

“Why’d you wanna go there earlier anyway?” Marlon asked. “You know your dad’s gonna open up the doorway again eventually, right?”  
  
“I couldn’t wait until then,” Newton answered. “I kept having dreams about…my possessed self. I couldn’t stop thinking about it—I could have _hurt_ him! I—I-I could have—!!”

His hands began to tremble as he went on, bringing Marlon to lightly shake him again. “Calm down, Newt. You shouldn’t stress out like that over bad dreams. Drink some more of your shake, okay?”

After sipping on his beverage some more, Newton finally seemed to be more relaxed. Once his lips parted from the straw he let out a heavy sigh. “All right…I think I’m okay now.”

“Good,” Marlon responded with a smile. “So…you went over to Craftworld and met with Cloth Kid again, huh?”

Newton nodded. “I wanted to give him a proper apology for my actions, and I also wanted to be friends with him again— _real_ friends this time. He’s been so patient and forgiving the entire time, letting me accompany him on outings and such…” At that point Marlon noticed the lightbulb-head’s face was displaying on a hint of a pink glow around the cheeks. “When my anxiety started getting to me he helped take my mind off it. He’s showed me his home and all the things he’s done with it, and…”

Marlon chuckled as Newton’s voice faded to a murmur once again. “Yep. You’re in love, all right.”

The pink glow on Newton’s cheeks nearly took up his entire bulb. “What? Is it that obvious?!”

“Subtlety isn’t really your thing,” Marlon admitted, giving him a sympathetic look.

“I…suppose not.” Newton looked the other way, looking incredibly flustered. “So…what do you think? Would you say there’s a smidgen of a chance that it could be mutual?”

“Well,” Marlon mused, “I’d say anything is possible. With the dude not saying anything, who knows what his true feelings are? Really, the only way you’ll know anything for sure is if you talk to him about it, you know?”

“I know, I know, but…” Newton looked down at his knees, his shoulders tensing up. “How can I possibly ask something like that after all we’d been through? I feel like he’s already given me a lot, calling me his best friend…what if my asking him that will just ruin everything?”

Marlon shook his head. “Do you _really_ think Cloth Kid’s that sorta person? Like you said, he’s patient and forgiving, right? An all-around good guy like him isn’t gonna let something small like that ruin your friendship.”

Newton looked back up at Marlon, uncertainty in his eyes. “Is that what you truly think?”

“That’s my assumption,” Marlon answered, giving him a reassuring smile. “Worst case scenario, things might be awkward for some time. But the show _will_ go on, no matter the outcome.”  
  
Newton was quiet for a short while, eyes moving around and looking all over the area in contemplation. His gaze shifted back to Marlon after not too long, his expression looking far calmer than before.

“That sounds about right, I suppose,” he responded, a small smile finally crossing his face. “Thank you for talking with me about this, Mr. Ra—Marlon. I greatly appreciate it, really.”  
  
Marlon reached over and gave him a pat on the back. “Anytime! Whenever you need to rehearse your lines, I’ll be here to give you some pointers.”

“Yes…right.” Newton stood up from his seat. “I’d best get back now. Thank you again, and also thank you for the milkshake! It was excellent.”

The film-haired man waved goodbye as Newton ran back in the direction from whence he had come, hoping the inventor felt as reassured as he looked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the ending was kinda awkward, sorry if that's the case ;;=_=;;


	25. Begin preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton's parents pick a date to open the dimensional doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuugghhhhh
> 
> This chapter feels wrong to me and I'm not sure why
> 
> It's like I've got everything in the wrong order or something
> 
> Ughhhh stupid brain uuuuugh

Newton was surprised to see his father home from work so early when he’d made it back to the manor. He was used to him coming home late after long days of adventuring and research for most of the time—on occasion he might even come home so late that everyone else would be asleep—so seeing him at home like this felt rather odd. He had no more time to think about that, though, as the older lightbulb-head was now looking this way.

“Ah, there you are, son. We were waiting for you.”

“Hello Papa, Mumsy!” Newton happily greeted him as he shut the front door. “What’s been going on?”

“We’ve decided on a good date to open the doorway,” Captain Pud explained, standing up from his seat. “We wanted to wait until you came home before we set it in stone.”

In the midst of his mix of emotions, Newton couldn’t help but feel intrigued. “Oh? And what did you decide on?”

“One week from today,” Captain Pud announced. “That will give the Alliance plenty of advance notice when we contact them, and also a good amount of time to get this house tidied up and presentable for our guest—which I trust you will also help with.”  
  
Newton could feel his stomach tying itself in knots as he listened. “Wh-What?! I-I mean, not about the last bit of course, I can help clean up, but…the Alliance?”

A triumphant smile crossed Captain Pud’s face. “It sounds exciting, doesn’t it? I know how much you’ve always idolized them, especially Mr. Centrifuge. And if we run into Mr. Da Vinci, we might be able to ask him about you going back to school sooner than we first thought.” His expression then took on a slightly more serious mood. “However, while you may be excited and amazed, you mustn’t forget why we’re going in the first place.”

“Ah…right,” Newton said, thinking back to the memory of what his father had told him before meeting with Pinky. “We’re going to meet and apologize to…to Sackboy…correct?”

His heart went into a flutter again, and he hoped that he wouldn’t end up blushing now—it would be a difficult thing to make up a lie about and he was not yet ready to tell his parents the truth. Still, he could hardly believe just how intense his affections had gotten without him even noticing at first. All it took was the single thought of his name, or even just an implication about him, to get his feelings worked up instantly.

Captain Pud, oblivious to his child’s thoughts, nodded in response. “Correct indeed. I was thinking we’d go over and meet with him and the Alliance members first and explain to them what’s been happening here. I’m hoping we’ll be able to have both of our worlds join forces—can you imagine what that would do for all of our levels of creativity? We might just be able to bring the Imagisphere to greater heights than it’s ever known!”

The idea of that was certainly a lot for Newton to take in. The Imagisphere already seemed so grand, he felt that trying to improve on _that_ was nigh impossible. For most of his life he had only focused on improving Bunkum, but his father had been looking at an even bigger scale. It was just another one of the many things that brought him admiration, from his family _and_ the general public.

_If only I could be so admirable...you’d think I’d have turned out better with my parents being who they are, but instead I just turned out to be...well...me._

“We’re also going to have a discussion in regards to the dimensional doorway,” Captain Pud went on. “Particularly about how long and how often we should keep it open. We don’t yet know if there are any more hidden threats here or there, but if we don’t find any I would like people from both worlds to be able to travel wherever and whenever they please.” He looked down at the floor and narrowed his eyes in concentration. “From what I’ve heard, Sackboy doesn’t speak, and if that’s the case I’m not sure if he would wish to contribute to the discussion or not. If he doesn’t you will meet with him outside, and you will give him your most sincere, heartfelt apology for the mess you’ve dragged him into. And I trust you will mean every word of it.”

Once again, the mention of Sackboy’s name teleported Newton’s brain to a different realm, one where he felt like he was drowning in a sea of sugar whilst at the same time being repeatedly struck by lightning. It was a strange comparison to be sure, but it was the best visual he could come up with to try and describe these newfound emotions of his that stirred up at the thought of Sackboy, the thought of his smile, his courage, his patience—his everything, really.

_When did I become this much of a sap!?_ Newton wondered.

“ _Won’t_ you, Newton?” Captain Pud pressed, making it clearer that he wanted an answer.

Newton nodded. “Every letter of it, Papa.”

“Good. After both of our meetings, we will invite Sackboy to the manor for dinner, as a token of our appreciation for his help. We would invite the other Alliance members, but we don’t have nearly enough seats for all of them.”

“I wonder what Sackboy likes to eat?” Nana Pud mused. “I hope he likes breakfast foods...it seems like that’s all we ever eat around here...”

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy whatever you make, my love,” Captain Pud responded, giving her a reassuring smile. “But I’ll make sure to ask once I contact them.”

“Can I do anything to help out, Mumsy?” Newton found himself asking, and he felt a bit surprised by just how easily the question slipped out.

Nana Pud gave him a skeptical look in return. “I’m not so sure about that, Newty…we know you mean well, but you remember the last time you’ve tried to prepare something, don’t you?”  
  
Newton smiled sheepishly. “The cereal landed in the bowl just fine, didn’t it?”  
  
“It spontaneously combusted after,” Nana Pud flatly replied.

“The milk put it out!” Newton retorted with a pout.

“We know you’re just trying to help, Newton,” Captain Pud sighed. “But you should be more focused on thinking about what you’re going to say to Sackboy.”

Newton nodded. “Ah…all right, then. If you’re sure.”

“So all three of us are in agreement that we’ll open the doorway and travel to Craftworld in one week time?”

“That sounds about right to me.”

  
“And me too!”  
  
“Very good.”

As his father started walking away, Newton thought anxiously to himself about how he was going to plan this out. If he was going to continue to keep his outings a secret, he would need to inform Sackboy as quickly as possible.

This time, he did his best to keep his head out of the clouds when he thought of his name.

————

_To: Sackboy Sackthing_

_From: Newton Pud_

_  
Hello again, dear friend! Did you always have a surname on you?_

_I wanted to let you know that my parents have finally decided when to come to your world! We’re going to open the doorway one week from today!_

_I have but one favor to ask of you…would you be able to ask the Alliance not to let my parents know I came here early? If they knew I was venturing here on my own while I was still grounded, I would never hear the end of it…I know I’m going to have to tell them eventually, but I don’t want them to find out like this. Not when things are finally getting so much better!_

_I’m sorry to keep asking so many things from you, but I would greatly appreciate it._

A wide smile spread across Sackboy’s face as he read through the new message. He was still experiencing the new floaty feelings running their course within him, particularly from being able to hang out with Newton earlier in the day. And now he was reaching out to him again so soon? He felt like the luckiest person in the Imagisphere right about now.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy Sackthing_

_Hi hi Newton!!!! i just added it here today :P dunno if i really have a last name but everyone else on these chats has them soooo i decided why not??_

_Of course I can ask them not to tell them! id never want you to get in trouble with your family!! I dont really know how well they’re gonna go along withit but ill make sure everyone understands and does their best for you!!_

_Im looking forward to getting to see you and your parents again next week!! ^_^_

_To: Sackboy Sackthing_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Thank you so so SO much! I can’t ever thank you enough, dear chum. You really are the most wonderful person. And I’m quite excited to see you again as well!_

_You don’t know? Pardon me if this is a rude question, but how would you not know something like that?_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy Sackthing_

_Anytime!! ^_^ aww you’re just saying that -///- i just wanna be a good friend to you!_

_it’s actually kinda weird but…i don’t think i was actually given a name or anything when i was created o_O like i never knew what to call myself._

_then people started calling me sackboy and i just thought “ok sure let’s go with that” and since i was also called sackthing ppretty often i went with that for my ‘last name” :P_

His typing got a tad sloppy towards the end of the message, but that wasn’t very high on his list of priorities right now. It felt strange and confusing to think about his past—most of his memories before his journey through the gardens were rather vague and muddled up inside his head whenever he tried thinking back to them, so after a certain amount of time spent on them he decided to just move on from them. He would try not to think about those things nowadays, as nine times out of ten it would only result in a headache.

This time, however, that usual reluctance was being drowned out by the new sweet feelings amplifying when Newton called him wonderful.

_To: Sackboy Sackthing_

_From: Newton Pud_

_Oh no, don’t you dare try to downplay it! You’ve saved both our worlds from danger, and you’re STILL practically spending every second of your free time helping everyone! Not to mention how you’re constantly putting others before yourself…don’t think I haven’t noticed that._

_That sounds rather odd…but we’ve all grown up differently, I suppose._

The latest message felt…difficult for Sackboy to read. There was something overpowering about it, something he’d have trouble properly putting into words. Of course, he’d always feel somewhat strange whenever people said such overly nice things about him, but now that these things were coming from Newton, this usual feeling combined with his new affections made him feel as if he were being spun around in a whirlpool, and it left him unsure of how to reply.

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy Sackthing_

_i don’t really see it as a big deal I’m just happy to make people happy hahaha ^_^_

_and yeah I guess so :P_

_To: Sackboy Sackthing  
From: Newton Pud_

_Harumph. I suppose it’s hard to see when you’re the person in question._

_But I’ll make certain that you’ll see what I’m talking about in not too long._

_In any case, I’d best get going now. Chat with you again soon?  
_

_To: Newton Pud_

_From: Sackboy Sackthing_

_Youre so insistent o.o_

_Okay i’ll let you go then ^_^ Take care! talk to u soon!_

And soon enough, Newton’s status was set to offline.

Sackboy flopped onto his back and exhaled softly. _He can be reeeally stubborn…but then again, so can I…but it was super sweet of him to write that to me, I think._

It was the strangest thing—even though they were best friends, and even with these new feelings he was going through, he still wasn’t one-hundred percent sure of Newton’s intentions. He wondered when he’d ever stop doubting himself about these things—or what might have caused this doubt in the first place. Was it really just a result of the Titans incident? Or was there something else afoot…?

Putting these thoughts aside, Sackboy went right to work on writing the note to give the Alliance, wracking his brain on how to go about it.

————

Newton felt guilty about asking Sackboy such a favor. He’d felt like he’d been asking so much of him already, and was grateful that the knitted one was being so understanding. Still, his friend’s kindness didn’t stop the feeling of his stomach twisting at the thought of mistreating him. He wanted to be the type of person that Sackboy could be proud of, the kind he would be the happiest to have at his side. The very thought of that sent a powerful feeling of motivation through him, one that he found quite invigorating.

After quickly climbing out of the airship and heading over to his room so as not to arouse any suspicion, Newton sat at his desk to think about what to do next. He _did_ have seven days before Sackboy’s arrival after all, and though they had already reunited and grown close together over the past several days, he felt as though he should prepare something special for him ahead of time. What to prepare, however, was still a good question.

For one reason or another, Marlon’s words from earlier in the day rang in his mind.

_“Really, the only way you’ll know anything for sure is if you talk to him about it, you know?”_

Newton thought that made enough sense to him at the time, but from what he remembered seeing before in various stories, matters of the heart always seemed so complicated. _Surely it can’t be that simple, can it? He’ll…definitely reject me and hate me forever if I tell him, right?_  
  
“Do you really think Cloth Kid’s that sorta person?”

Once again, he supposed not. If Sackboy forgave him for manipulating him and putting the planet in danger, then throwing him away over a love confession _would_ seem silly in the scheme of things. But even so…

_In seven days I’ll see him on home turf again for the first time in months…and having him here would be the perfect opportunity to make the perfect love confession! It may seem a bit soon, but…it might just be crazy enough to work!_

With that thought in mind, Newton pulled a notepad out from one of the desk drawers, and also brought out Sackboy’s drawing and set it up in front of himself, to ensure no shortage of motivation.

_All right then! Operation Confession is underway!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit Newton stop overcomplicating things
> 
> I think your overthinking is what's messing up this chapter
> 
> Newton stooooop


	26. The trio of triumph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avalon announces a new plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Centriforth? Handforica? Centriforthica?
> 
> I dunno dude, who knows for sure

Sackboy was just adding the finishing touches to the letter he was writing for Newton when he had heard that familiar jingle coming from his pod computer. With his heart skipping a beat at the thought of Newton messaging him again already, he leapt back to the computer to answer the notification.

_To: Sackboy Sackthing_

_From: Avalon Centrifuge_

_ATTENTION, EVERYONE!_

_With a little help from my cohorts, I have made a most groundbreaking discovery! If I am not mistaken, the chances of which being slim to none, this should be the key to cracking this sackbot crisis!  
Please meet us in the luxuriant lobby of Avalonia at your earliest convenience to hear further news!_

Sackboy couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the beginning—it was classic Avalon behavior to understate his colleagues’ work and exaggerate his own. But putting the usual gloating aside, he knew right away that whatever he had to say must have been of utmost importance. Grateful for the convenient timing, he carefully put his newly-written letter away inside of his Popit and headed out for Avalonia.

He made it to his destination soon enough and found Larry and Victoria sitting together on one of the lobby’s high-end sofas, the former glancing around impatiently while the latter looked up to the ceiling with concern. They both noticed his presence not a second later and turned their heads to meet his eyes.

“Good day to you, Sackthing!” Larry greeted him, his impatience subsiding temporarily. “I take it you’ve received a message from Avalon as well?”

Sackboy nodded hesitantly. It would seem that the only things holding the bearded man back from complaining endlessly about Avalon were himself and Victoria, but he could tell from his aura that his calm wouldn’t last much longer.

Predictably, Larry let out a heavy sigh. “It’s just like him...no matter the situation, he always tries to make it about himself.”

“Larry, please,” Victoria said gently, placing a hand upon his shoulder. “While I do agree that he _is_ more vain than I’d care for, it isn’t for nothing. He knows what he’s doing.”

“I suppose you’re right, my sweet rose cupcake,” Larry answered in resignation. “However, I _am_ a tad surprised that he gave mention to any ‘cohorts’ at all. I wonder who he was referring to...”

“He was referring to me and Eve.”

The three of them turned around to see Clive standing by the doorway, having just arrived. His expression looked as somber as it always did, but something about the aura he gave off seemed somehow lighter than usual.

“Ah, Clive!” Larry exclaimed. “Would you care to fill us in on what’s going on here?”

Clive shook his head. “Sorry. Avalon said we can’t tell you until everyone else shows up. Eve went back to her asylum to bring Higginbotham here, so we’ll have to wait until then.”

“And where is Avalon exactly?” Victoria asked him.

“He’s...around. He wants to wait until everyone’s here so he can make his big entrance. You know how he is.”

Sackboy could have sworn he had seen a hint of a smile on Clive’s face.

“I do,” Larry replied, rolling his eyes. “All too well, unfortunately.”

Clive looked over to Sackboy, worry writing itself on his features. “How are you holding up, Sackboy? I haven’t seen you as much lately…”

Sackboy responded with a thumbs-up, and at that moment he decided that now might have been a good time to bring up the letter. But right as he was reaching into himself for his Popit, he heard a pair of footsteps hurry inside the lobby.

“We are sorry to have kept you all waiting,” Eve called out as she entered with Dr. Higginbotham in tow. “Things are more chaotic at the asylum today.”

“Ah, good to see you, Eve,” Larry greeted her. “I suppose this is everyone. Now all that’s left is for Avalon to—“

“DID SOMEONE CALL FOR ME?”

The voice over the intercom echoed across the lobby right before Larry could finish his sentence. A victorious orchestral tune from an unseen source began to play as a silver platform rose from the ground, with Avalon standing upon it with his usual air of confidence. Out of the corner of his eye, Sackboy noticed Clive and Eve going to different positions on the floor, their movements looking oddly specific.

“Welcome back to Avalonia!” the orange-haired man announced, putting his hands on his hips. “Home to the limitless creation of futuristic wonders, and of course the man behind them all—ME!”

“Speak of the devil,” Larry muttered to himself before looking upward in bewilderment. “What’s going on here, Avalon?”

“I thought you’d never ask!” Avalon responded. “Now I’m sure you all remember yesterday’s findings regarding the black gunk—the strange way it acted when our hotshot—“ He gestured towards Sackboy at this point. “—came near it. But later in the evening, Clive was supervising the sleeping sackbots whilst Eve and I accompanied him!”

“Just you two were with him?” Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow. “That’s an odd trio...”

“That’s not the point,” Avalon dismissed. “Anyway, while Clive was watching over them, he happened to notice something...”

_. . . . . . . ._

_“Clive!” Avalon whined. “You’re taking longer than usual. What’re you up to in there?”_

_“Now, now,” said Eve, trying to soothe him. “Do not be so impatient. Go easy on our calendar man. You know how easily he stresses.”_

_“I shouldn’t be too much longer,” Clive called from the maintenance room. “I just wanna see if it hasn’t—“_

_And then Clive went quiet._

_“...Calendar man? What is going on?” the nurse asked, concerned about the sudden silence._

_Avalon smirked. “Now who’s being impatient?”_

_“This is different!” Eve retorted defensively. “No one just stops talking in the middle of a sentence like that! We must go check on him!”_

_  
The two of them went inside the maintenance room to find Clive quietly watching the sackbot, his head looking dangerously close to the contaminated circuits._

_“Clive, what are you doing?!” Eve yelped in alarm, running over to the calendar-head. “You are risking being infected by that stuff!”_

_Clive looked over to them, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I dunno...it looks like it’s actually settled down some. Take a look if you want.”_

_Reluctantly, Eve and Avalon walked up closer as Clive moved away to give them room. To their surprise, the gunk seemed to be completely inactive at this time. None of them could really give a good explanation as to why, but nevertheless it was the hypothesis they had come up with._

_“I wonder if...” Eve was murmuring to herself as she reached into her Popit. After searching around for a bit, she pulled out a pair of special latex gloves and a transparent plastic container. She set down the container off to the side and opened it, then put on the gloves and grabbed a handful of the gunk._

_“Whoa! What the heck are you doing, lady?!” Avalon exclaimed._

_“Do not worry,” she responded calmly. “As a nurse, I have experience in handling biohazards. These are indestructible gloves that will protect your hands from any material. They also have a sanitizing function that will automatically clean them after they have handled something potentially toxic.”_

_She then placed the gunk into the container, finding it had dropped down and come off her hands with unusual ease. Once it was inside and her gloves were completely clean, she locked the box up tight._

_“That was a risky move,” Clive observed, looking rather worried for Eve’s wellbeing._

_Eve gave him a playful smile. “Says the guy who had his face up close to it.”_

_Clive nodded, giving a nervous smile in return. “Fair enough...but what should we do about it now?”_

_. . . . . . . ._

“The answer to that question,” Avalon spoke, “shall be delivered to you all...NOW!”

Right as he uttered the last word, two more silver platforms began to emerge from where Clive and Eve were standing, carrying them up along with them until they reached the same level as him. They then leaped onto Avalon’s platform, Eve doing so with grace and elegance while Clive stumbled and had to hold onto the ledge to climb back up.

Once they were both situated there, Avalon walked over to them. “The three of us have decided to construct a sanitation machine that will vaporize all traces of the filthy substance! It _will_ be a difficult thing to figure out, as we must make sure it won’t take out any parts of the afflicted sackbots with it, but with Eve’s medical expertise, Clive’s knowledge of the sackbots’ structure, and _my_ never-ending genius in all things technological, you can rest assured that we _will_ get the job done!”

The orange-haired man grabbed one of Clive’s hands while Eve grabbed the other, both holding them up into the air.  
  
“You can just call us the Trio of Triumph!” Avalon cackled uproariously. “No matter what may stand in our way, success will be ours!”

Sackboy couldn’t help but be immersed in the presentation of his three fellow Alliance members. Before all of this had started, those three would have been the last combination of people he’d have thought he’d see team up together. And yet here they were now, standing boldly on the shiny platform side-by-side and radiating confidence. As he looked them over he began to feel more hopeful and excited. It really did seem like they would find the solution they were all searching for.

Larry looked to be less enthused. “Just don’t act too cocky about all this, do you hear me? We’re all still uncertain about what we’re reckoning with, and the last thing we need is any more dangerous surprises.”

“You don’t have to worry so much, Da Vinci,” Avalon reassured, his grin never faltering despite the slightly annoyed look in his eye. “This team’s made up of the best people for the job, led by the best person for any job. If anyone here can do this, it’s us.”  
  
Victoria looked up at them with a warm smile. “Well, I wish all of you the best of luck!”

The three platforms sunk back down to the floor soon enough, and the ones standing there came down with them.

“All right then,” Larry sighed. “If that’s all you had to say, and there’s no other business—“

At that moment, Sackboy started jumping up and down where he was, doing the best he could to get the others’ attention without words. Fortunately for him, Clive seemed to notice his frantic movements right away.

“What’s going on, Sackboy?” he asked him, raising a sketched eyebrow.

Once everybody had turned to look at him, Sackboy unzipped himself and pulled out the letter he had written earlier. He handed it over to Larry, who began to read it along with everyone else peering over his shoulder, each person murmuring in response.

_Hi everyone! You all remember my friend Newton, right? The one with the lightbulb head and bowler hat?_

_Him and his family aretraveling to Craftworld together one week from today! But the thing is, they don’t know that he’s been coming over here. So when they arrive, can you please not tell them about that and also maybe act like you’ve never seen him before?_

_I know it’s a weird request, but he only wanted to go here so he could apologize for a mistake he made before. He’s my best friend and he really is harmless! We would both really appreciate it!  
Thank you for reading!_

_-Sackboy_

Larry’s eyebrows rose as he finished reading the letter. “I say…this _is_ quite peculiar. He’s been travelling in secret, you say?”

“Even if we do try to keep it from them,” Victoria said apprehensively, “there’s every chance that they’ll figure out on their own.”

Clive nodded in agreement. “There’s no guarantee it’ll work out well…”  
  
Sackboy gave his teammates the best pleading look he could manage, widening his eyes and pouting his lip. He wasn’t very fond of using this particular strategy, as he never liked being looked down on as if he were a vulnerable child when he was a young adult as capable as the rest of them. But if it meant protecting Newton from the wrath of his parents for even just a little longer, he would go through with it.

Upon seeing him this way, Larry gave him a sympathetic look. “Well...there’s no telling how things will go, but this is clearly very important to you…very well. We’ll do our best.”

The silent one’s face lit up with joy and relief, and he pulled Larry into a tight hug as thanks. The elder returned the hug, if not a tad awkwardly, then parted after a moment had passed.

“Although I must say, Sackthing,” he said, “I _am_ surprised—I don’t seem to recall the last person you’ve been such close friends with.”

It was now Sackboy’s turn to feel awkward, only responding by shyly looking down at the floor.

“Err… _was_ there a last person?” Larry asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Sackboy made no move to answer, but he felt his cheeks begin to heat up at the thought of Newton being the one he was closest to. As soon as he felt that warmth his eyes closed tightly in annoyance, knowing full well that would give them enough of an answer.

Just as he had expected (but was secretly hoping against), Victoria cooed in adoration and leaned in closer. “Ooohh! Could it be? Could our little Sackboy be harboring a _crush?_ ”

Sackboy hid his face in his hands, repressing a frustrated groan. He _knew_ they were going to react that way—though he was grateful to have been accepted into the group and feel like he was actually part of someone’s family, he was definitely not a fan of being teased or embarrassed, as most people wouldn’t be. Even though he knew they meant well, he never liked being reminded that he was technically the baby of the group when he was actually 22 years old.

“Aww, I’m sorry, Sackthing,” Victoria apologized, though he could tell that she was still going to continue with this. “I know you don’t like us babying you, but I just feel like I’m watching our baby bird leave the nest! It feels like you’ve joined the Alliance only yesterday…”

“Ehrm,” Larry intervened, clearing his throat, “I think we should give him some space, my angel cake. His yarn looks like it’s about ready to catch fire…”

Victoria reluctantly backed away, letting out one more giggle. “Right, right. Sorry about that…”

Sackboy huffed, looking back at the floor again. _Well, at least I can be sure they’ll keep that stuff a secret…_

The Alliance parted ways after that, and Sackboy quickly returned home, flopping onto the bed. It wasn’t so late into the day—it had to have been around 6 PM at the latest—but between the outing with Newton and the meeting with the Alliance, he was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

_This has been the longest day…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmm hmmm hmmm hmmmmmm
> 
> I wonder how well this will go...


	27. Masterpiece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton begins setting his plan in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammiiiiit
> 
> I watched Hot Fuzz the other night and now I have an infection
> 
> An infection of the heart
> 
> Dammit dammit dammit dammit
> 
> Someone please help me, I can't stop listening to "Village Green"

The film on the projector began playing on the screen in an instant, displaying a simplistic drawing of a sackperson.

_“YOU THERE!”_ Newton’s voice appeared in the voiceover, clearly trying to imitate your typical infomercial announcer. His words were accompanied by some sort of muzak that one might have associated with grocery shopping.

The frame switched to another drawing of the sackperson, this time showing them pointing to themself.

_“Are you in need of the PERFECT COMPANION?”_ Newton’s voiceover asked. _“Looking for that special someone to appreciate your crafts, admire your soft yarn, and protect you from bloodthirsty queens waiting to bite your face?”_

As these questions were asked, a few new drawings were displayed showing a very basic outline of a person alongside the sackperson, demonstrating the listed actions. Demon horns and sharp teeth were drawn on the queen the basic outline was protecting the sackperson from, adding on to just how crudely-made it looked.

_“Why don’t you try NEWTON? Guaranteed to bring you happiness!”_

At that moment a photo of Newton took up the screen, in which he looked like he was trying to put on his most winning smile, but instead he looked rather deranged and desperate. A choir sound effect was played at the same time the photo appeared, only adding to the cheesy quality of the entire thing.

_“NEWTON comes with supreme intellect, dazzling fashion sense, amazing charm, great humor, and MUCH MUCH MORE!”_

The scene switched to a doodle of a grinning Newton, with a set of bulletpoints listing the aforementioned qualities next to it.

_“Now, you may be concerned with the use of TITANS in your previous NEWTON experience…”_

At that point, a drawing was displayed with an evil-looking Newton, donning the same pair of demon horns and a devilish tail, looking like he was about to terrorize the simplistically-drawn Sackperson and putting his hands together.

_“…but FEAR NOT!”_

A large and once again crudely-drawn no symbol appeared over the same drawing before the scene quickly switched to another one, this time featuring a doodled Newton with wings and a halo.

_“NEWTON now comes not just 100%, or even 110%, but 220% TITAN-FREE!”_

Right as the voiceover claimed this, a tacky-looking graphic appeared above the doodle, displaying the words “220% TITAN FREE!!!!” in bold, capital letters.

_“So make your life brighter with your NEWTON today!”_

The film switched to one more drawing that showed a doodled couple, Newton and the sackperson, holding hands and smiling widely before the screen immediately went blank as the production ended abruptly. Marlon stared at the now empty screen with the straightest face he could possibly manage whilst the real Newton approached him, a hopeful look lighting up his glassy face.

“…so…” Newton stammered out, shyly looking down at his hands. “…do you think that…maybe…he’ll say yes?”

Marlon looked up at the ceiling, a thoughtful expression on his features. He contemplated the question asked of him, doing his best to think up a tactful reply that would help the lightbulb-head do well in future works.

“…Newt. Dude. That was the worst movie I’ve ever seen since the one where Tommy Wi-Sew was making weird chicken noises.”

Well, he did his best. It was never made clear what exactly his best was.

“Aha…I see…” Newton’s face looked a bit disheartened, but still hopeful overall. “W-Well then, is there anything I can do to improve it? I wanted that titan-free decoration to blink on and off, but I don’t really know how to do that…”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Marlon said, getting up from his seat and walking over to Newton, “but…I’m not so sure you’re cut out to be a filmmaker.”

Newton’s face fell completely. “Hmm…it’s that bad, is it…”

The actor gave Newton a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, though! Not everyone’s up for the silver screen.”

“But...I’m just at a loss,” Newton fretted, taking the seat Marlon had just given up. “I want to make this confession...special. Memorable. I want to be able to properly convey my feelings to him, _really_ put my entire heart into it. And I don’t know how exactly I can do that...”

Marlon could do little more than stare at him in surprise at that moment. He might not have known the inventor too well, but one didn’t have to know him well to notice his obvious passion. In fact, he was uncertain of the last time he’d witnessed such emotion.

The only thing he could think of in comparison was how happy Captain and Nana Pud looked after they’d married so many years ago...

Newton rested his face in his hands, looking defeated. “Oh, if only I knew how to go about this…what’s the perfect way to demonstrate how I feel…?”

“I don’t think there’s really a perfect way to do it,” Marlon answered. “Y’know, your mom and dad kinda just fell into their relationship starting out, without even thinking about it. And as far as I know, they’re just as happy today as they were back then. Not every romance scene needs to be a grandiose display of love.”

Newton shook his head. “It’s easy for you to say if you don’t have those feelings. You just don’t understand...” He stood up from his seat and began to pace back and forth, throwing his hands in the air. “Even if there’s absolutely no chance of him accepting me, I still want him to know. And I want him to know every last drop of my love. I know I’ll never be able to find the words I want, and I can’t just let things fall into place. So what am I supposed to do...?!”

_Didn’t he just realize his feelings YESTERDAY?_ Marlon thought, though he kept that question to himself as he knew there was no way Newton would react to it well at this point in time. He had to admit, as ridiculous as his idea was, he seemed extremely serious about it. There would be no stopping him, no matter how much reasoning he would try to muster.

“Well,” he said at last, “if you really wanna do this kinda thing...I’d recommend doing so in the form of...” He looked down at his shoes contemplatively. “...something you’re good at, maybe.”

Newton stopped in his tracks and looked back over at him. “Something I’m good at? What do you mean?”

Marlon gave him a thoughtful nod. “Word’s gotten around from the Lagoon, you know. Apparently you’re super skilled with mechanics and none of us knew it this entire time. If you wanna do something fantastical, why not build him something cool?”

“You really think I could do that? But...” The hopeful look in Newton’s electric eyes faded just as quickly as it had appeared. “...th-the jouster-thingy crashed into the ground and fell to pieces! Is that really what you’d call...’super-skilled’...??”

Marlon raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You really haven’t seen an Air Jouster before, have you? Those things crash and burn all the time. All that really matters in those events is how far they get before they land.”

Newton’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is....that so? That’s quite strange...who would want to build something just to immediately break it?”

“That’s not the point,” Marlon responded, shaking his head. “The point is, you’re a lot smarter than you think, kiddo. So if you wanna do this for him, you should go for it!”

Newton crossed his arms and looked down at the floor, narrowing his eyes as if he were in thought. After a little while his head jolted back upward, eyes widening in realization.

“Aha!” he yelped it. “I think I’ve got it...I might have something here!” He grabbed Marlon’s hands and shook them firmly. “Thank you so much, Marlon! I think I know what to do now!”

Marlon responded with a hearty chuckle. “It’s no problem, Newt. It’s important to give support to your cast and crew, so I’ll be here if you need any more help!”

“I appreciate that greatly,” the lightbulb-head replied with a warm smile. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d best go find the supplies and draw up blueprints!”

Marlon waved as Newton began to turn around and walk away. “Good luck!”

But right as Newton started walking, he stopped himself and headed back to the actor.

“Actually, there is one more thing I must ask of you...do you know the sorts of things Sackboy likes in the levels he goes through?”

————

Larry startled slightly at the sound of the main entrance opening. Aside from Victoria, he had not been expecting any more visitors stopping by today. He wondered who might have come over, and his question was answered by the sound of two cardboard soles rushing towards them.

“Ah, hello there,” he greeted him. “I didn’t think you’d come by.”

Newton nodded, looking oddly shy. “Please excuse me for dropping in on such short notice. I was just wondering if you would allow me to borrow some supplies…”

“Oh yes, of course!” Larry agreed, undoubtedly influenced by the eager looks Victoria was giving off from several feet away. “These supplies are for a certain sackperson, I presume?”

Newton’s bulb was practically filled with a pink glow. “Ah-?! H-How did you know…?!”

“Because if I’m not mistaken, he’s the reason why you keep sneaking over here,” Larry answered, raising an eyebrow. Right as Newton opened his mouth to explain himself he quickly added, “You needn’t worry, though. I’ve received the letter Sackthing wrote on the matter yesterday, and I’ve promised him I won’t let any of your secrets slip in front of your family.”

Newton breathed a sigh of relief after the words registered in his head. “Oh, thank you…I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you all. Everyone here’s been so nice to me…” He looked down at his boots, a small smile on his face as he laced his fingers together. “Of course, Sackboy’s been the nicest of all.”

Larry chuckled. “Well, it’s in his nature, isn’t it…of course, that habit of his to always put others’ needs first has dangers of its own. Since you’re his new best friend, can I count on you to take care of him?”

Newton nodded, now wearing a diligent expression. “Absolutely! I’ll make certain to keep my little chum out of harm’s way, I can assure you that.”

“That’s what I figured,” Larry said with a nod, looking rather pleased with that response. “It may take a day at most, but I’ll be sure to have some supplies delivered to you discreetly.” He then tilted his head slightly to the side, eyebrows furrowing in curiosity. “Before that, however…might I ask what exactly you’re using them for? I knew already that they’d be for Sackthing, but what do you plan to build?”

“Oh, just a little something,” Newton answered, with a smile that told anyone and everyone that he was hiding something. “A contraption that I hope will accurately display all my l—gratitude for everything he’s done for me. I haven’t got the plans drawn up yet, but...” He paused for a moment, beginning to look all the more determined before continuing. “...no matter what it takes, I’ll make sure it comes out brilliantly.”

Larry smiled in return. “I’m sure you will. Off you go, then—your plans won’t draw themselves, you know!”

Newton nodded, laughing a little. “Oh, you’re quite right! I’d better leave.” He gave the elder a quick handshake before heading back from whence he came. “Thank you so much again, Mr. Da Vinci! I’ll see you again soon!”

Once he was gone, Victoria walked over to Larry, an inquisitive expression written on her features. “Well! That was rather generous of you, Larry. I didn’t know you had that in you.”

“Well, creativity is something to be shared with others after all, isn’t it? I wasn’t about to make someone in need go empty-handed.” He smiled at her fondly. “Especially not one of my former students.”

It was all Victoria could do to keep her jaw from falling to the floor. “You _what?_ I thought you might have—“ She cut herself off, having to pause for a moment as she processed this new information. “When—When did you remember?”

Larry looked off to the side in reminiscence. “I never forget a pupil of mine, especially not one such as him. He didn’t seem to be ready to face those memories yet, and I remember well the day he learned of his final grade.” He looked his head downward, grimacing. “The poor thing always seemed to be trapped between impulse and perfectionism, trying to find a way to mix the two. He has ambition practically stuffed into him, but he’s never seemed to know just how to act on it. I didn’t want to bring up those troubled thoughts of his again so soon.”

Victoria was wide-eyed as she listened to him explain, doing her best to take it in despite how heavy the conversation had suddenly become. “Oh, Larry...why, I—I never knew you’d dwelled on that for so long...why didn’t you talk to any of us about it? Just because you’re the leader of the Alliance doesn’t mean you have to take it all on by yourself...”

Larry shook his head. “It’s not for you to worry about, my sweet teacake. Newton is my student, and therefore his shortcomings in my classes are my responsibility. I kept reminding him and his family that he could do as many retakes as he needed, but in the end I realized he would need to come to me on his own terms.” A smile crept up on his bearded face again, only this time it held a faint amount of regret. “And so as his professor, I will wait for him to come back...for however long that may take.”

Victoria stared at him for a second or two before she leaned in closer to him. Before the atmosphere could get awkward from the thickening silence in the air, she planted a tender kiss upon his cheek.

“You are a great professor, Larry Da Vinci,” she whispered, “and an even better friend.”

Larry couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. Perhaps moments of vulnerability had their benefits after all.

————

Newton was nearly bursting with excitement when he returned home that afternoon. Once again he was sat at his desk, he brought his notepad back out from the drawer it was stored away in and went right to work refiguring what he had dubbed “Operation: Confession”.

“The movie is an absolute no-go,” he murmured to himself, almost endangering his pencil by scratching out the idea on the paper too hard. “Instead...I need to do it in the form of the thing I’m good at. Which is building...thingies. The question is, what thingy should I build?”

He jotted down the ideas on the paper as they came to his mind. For one thing, it would have to be something possible for someone without a Popit to create. He’d never had one for as long as he could remember, and apparently neither did anyone on his father’s side of the family. He didn’t want to use that as an excuse, however—after all, his father ended up becoming the legend he was today even without a Popit of his own, so surely he could manage it too, couldn’t he?

Even still, he didn’t want to end up biting off more than he could chew.

The next order of business was making sure it would provide an enjoyable time. Regardless of whatever resources he would receive tomorrow, he wanted to make this an experience that would please all of Sackboy’s senses. He wanted to make it something fun and thrilling, yet safe and comforting. If there was a good sensation that could be given, he wanted to provide it. Because his secret love did deserve the best, right?

There was a lengthy list of things he wanted to have his invention contain, but the final aspect of importance he had on his mind was to convey his message. He was quite uncertain of how he was supposed to get his point across by use of a contraption...but so help him, he would find out how to do it.

The image of what he had wanted was slowly coming together in his head.

“All right,” he whispered to himself confidently. “It’s time to get to designing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, Newton
> 
> Newton, Newton, Newton, Newton, Newton
> 
> Best of luck to you, buddy
> 
> (I wanted to make the first part a video but I dunno how to put videos here)


	28. Offline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy isn't having the best week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuughhh this chapter was a chore to write uuughhhhh
> 
> I hope it's not as much of a chore to read

Sackboy groaned inwardly as he laid his head against the pod computer’s controller. Since Avalon, Clive and Eve had taken over the sackbot investigation for the time being, that brought him back to his original struggle of finding something to occupy himself whilst everyone else was busy. He wasn’t a workaholic or anything, he didn’t mind having a free moment from time to time—it was just difficult for him to figure out what to do with it when he was by himself.

The Alliance having other things to attend to without him might not have been as much of a bother if at least one person was there to keep him company. His problem actually had less to do with being unoccupied and more to do with being alone. And...he would have been lying if he said he didn’t have a specific person in mind.

But whenever he went to type a new message for Newton, he would always see his status left as offline. There was always a small note underneath that stated that he would receive the message when he came back, but Sackboy refrained from sending anything anyway. He didn’t want to disturb him if he had something else going on, and he didn’t want to make him feel guilty for not reading them sooner. And so all he did was wait until something—anything—changed.

The rest of the day remained uneventful, passing him by without incident. The next day came and went by very much the same way, as did the next, and the next. He ended up falling into a slump, doing the bare minimum to take care of himself as he had little energy left to do much else. His entire body felt heavy but his head felt especially so, and the weight on his mind increased as the doubts and worries within him began to pile up.

He drifted in and out of sleep throughout the day, and while most of it went by dreamlessly, at one point he had encountered the strangest thing.

_. . . . . . . ._

_He found himself in an empty void, no other people or objects in sight, with a chilly feel to it. He thought about opening up his Popit to change into some warmer attire, but the moment he tried it just wouldn’t show up. Knowing that something in this area was somehow disabling his Popit felt incredibly odd to him, as well as somewhat frightening. But even stranger and scarier still, words began to pop into his brain. There wasn’t a voice there saying them, not even whispering them into his ear (wherever those might have been)—the words were just there inside his head._

_“How does it feel to know they’ll all leave you behind someday?”_

_The question filled Sackboy with a sense of unease, but he only shook his head in turn._

_“You can pretend all you’d like that everything will work out fine, and that you’ll all stay friends forever. But you know deep down that it’s never going to last.”_

_Sackboy shook his head again. It was true that he had those thoughts sometimes, but he figured they were relatively common for just about everyone. He trusted his friends, and even with how weird or hectic things could get, he knew they wouldn’t leave him just like that._

_“You know they look at you differently. You’re not on the same level as everyone else, and you never will be. All you’re good for is saving the world, and you can’t even do that without their help.”_

_Sackboy kept shaking his head, as if doing so continuously would somehow help in chasing away the words bombarding him. Against his better judgment, however, he felt that there might have been a ring of truth about them..._

_“You’re just a convenience to them during times of crisis.” He suddenly felt a tightness around his chest, but he couldn’t see a thing. “And an inconvenience for them during everything else. They’ll send you out to get hurt in their place and take the fall for when things go wrong.”_

_He could feel his entire body stiffening now, unable to move as if something powerful was holding him in place. The immense feeling of helplessness was unbearable, and the worst thing of all was that he had no clue as to how to make it go away._

_“And before you try to deny that, you’d better remember what happened all those months ago. What exactly happened with that so-called friend of yours? The one you’ve ended up falling for?”_

_Whatever semblance of ground there was parted from his feet. It was almost as if something was lifting him into the air._

_“You’ve given away your forgiveness and your heart so easily. It’s no wonder everyone treats you like a child. If you can still believe the ones you love won’t just forget you as soon as they don’t need you anymore...”_

_“JUST BE QUIET ALREADY!” Sackboy screamed in response at last, quickly covering his mouth after he realized what had just occurred. As his seldom-used voice echoed throughout the void, he found himself shaking like a paper plane in a tornado._

_The words ceased themselves for a bit, giving him a brief respite before they came forward again._

_“Good, good! Now isn’t this good?”_

_. . . . . . . ._

Sackboy woke up right then, breathless and trembling all over. It was so strange—he had dealt with greedy collectors committing mass kidnapping, giant monsters hellbent on universal destruction, and demonic abominations possessing a misguided person…and yet, even with all of his experience, he was certain that this was the most scared he had ever felt.

_Just a nightmare,_ he thought to himself disdainfully. _I’m all worked up over a stupid nightmare…you have to be kidding me!!_

As if things weren’t overwhelming enough already, he could feel tears welling up and threatening to spill from his button eyes. Suppressing a sob, he made his way back over to the computer. This was all getting to be too much for him. He needed someone to talk to. He needed—

_“Newton Pud is currently offline. We’ll make sure he receives your message as soon as he logs back on!”_

And just like that, Sackboy slumped back down again. He tried to keep himself together, even though he knew he didn’t really need to in the privacy of his own home. But the mixture of emotions was enough to make his head hurt, and soon enough the sobs began to slip past his half-hearted composure. The cries grew louder and heavier, and he hated looking and feeling so vulnerable even though there was no one around to see it, but he knew that he’d never be able to move past it if he didn’t get it all out of his system.

Eventually he settled back down again, wiping his eyes as he stood up on his feet. And right at that moment, something caught his eye that he found to be a bit alarming.

There were a few small black stains soaked into the fabric of his blankets.

Sackboy jolted at the sight, gaping at it for what felt like the longest time as his body filled with panic.

_This isn’t the same stuff messing with the sackbots, is it? I mean, there’s no way it could be, right? Unless some of it just leaked out from the sackbot that ended up here and I didn’t notice before? But I would’ve noticed it before, right? Because I sleep here every night, so I’d HAVE to have seen it before! So what can I do?? Do I just have to throw out the entire bed and get a new one??? What am I supposed to do?!_

He managed to take a few deep breaths, closing his eyes and forcing his speeding train of thought to come to a halt. He moved the blankets aside and rolled them up, then stripped the bed of its sheets for good measure. Once everything was removed he opened up his Popit and activated its washing function, then shoved the materials inside and closed it. He knew that that function was made specifically for washing himself and his costumes, but the way he saw it, it was washing most of the same thing—fabric. So it could probably do just as well with washing bedclothes, right?

Too stressed out of his mind to argue with that excuse, the knitted one sat back down on the floor.

_I can’t stay here anymore,_ he thought to himself. _Not right now. I need to go somewhere else…anywhere else. I need some fresher air…a different space…_

He ended up heading over to the bridge, the one place he could think of that was peaceful and soothing but didn’t have any people he’d potentially disturb. He sat by the edge and looked down at the water below, noticing that the sun was already setting in the reflection and wondering just how much of the day he’d spent sleeping on and off. There wasn’t really anything he particularly wanted to do instead, but he still felt guilty about letting yet another day pass him by like this.

“Oh, Larry, look! There he is now!”

Sackboy lifted his head and turned around to see Larry and Victoria approaching him, appearing to have been taking a walk together arm-in-arm. Feeling a bit relieved at the idea of not having to be alone anymore, he gave them a polite wave.

  
“What-ho, Sackthing!” Larry greeted him. “Where have you been off to these last few days?”  
  
“We’ve been getting worried,” Victoria added, “after not seeing much of you.”

Sackboy gave the pair an apologetic smile and a thumbs-up, hoping they would understand and accept his answer of _“I’m sorry to worry you, but I’m okay.”_ He didn’t even think about the possibility of his absence alarming people—he had just assumed that they would all be too busy with their work to take note of it.

“Well, do you fancy joining the two of us for a stroll?” Larry asked him. “You look like you’re feeling a tad under the weather, and a good walk-around to take in this scenery might do you some good.”

Sackboy looked off to the side and started to think it over when he heard Victoria gasp in surprise. He looked over to her, confused and concerned as to what could have warranted that sudden reaction from her, when he realized what exactly she was looking at.

“Where did this tear come from, Sackboy?” she asked, examining his back. “How did this happen?!”

Larry went over to act as a second set of eyes, only to have them widen when he saw the amount of damage. “Why…Sackthing, you should’ve come to us about this right away! An injury this severe can only bring serious troubles!’

Sackboy’s face fell at the sudden solemn atmosphere taking over the conversation, now deciding that being alone might not have been such a bad thing after all. As regretful as he felt, however, he couldn’t help but wonder one thing.

_What does he mean by “severe”? From what I could see the other day, it looked like it was just a small cut…_

“You’re coming with us back to the hideout,” Larry said decisively. “We need to get this wound patched up as soon as possible.”

And so Sackboy now found himself sat on the large wooden platform in Larry’s hideout, holding as still as he possibly could and trying his best not to wince in pain from the needle poking into his yarn.

“Now, now,” Victoria reassured him as Larry worked on the finishing touches. “Larry’s almost done. And I’ve brought over some sweets, so we can enjoy them after!”

The silent one mustered up a faint smile in response, but in reality he didn’t think he would have much of an appetite after Larry’s repairs. Not even for Victoria’s well-renowned pastries.

“It’s times like this where I wish you could speak,” the bearded man sighed as he finished stitching him up. “But seeing as we can’t get any details regarding whatever incident occurred, I can only ask you to be more careful next time.”

Sackboy nodded in understanding, but Larry still seemed unsatisfied. He didn’t know how else he was supposed to respond, so he opted to wait and hear whatever else his friends had to say.

“Maybe you should stay here for now, Sackthing,” Larry suggested before the silence could grow too thick. “You really don’t look so well. It would probably be best if you had people nearby until you felt better.”

Once again, Sackboy just went along with the decision, unable to argue even if he had wanted to. He only hoped that staying here for the night would help him recover from whatever he was going through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mannn I don't know what's up with me today
> 
> I just feel kinda bad today but at the same time I wanted to get through this chapter


	29. Out through the doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dimensional doorway is finally opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this chapter feels so looooonnnnng
> 
> I don't really know what to say here soooooo
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! ^_^

_To: Captain Pud  
From: Marlon Random_

_Heya, Captain. How are you guys doing over at the Peaks?_

_Everyone here in Manglewood is ready to open the door when you are. Personally I’m really looking forward to it! Can’t wait to see what stages Craftworld has to offer._

_If you need help with anything, remember I’m your guy! Rehearsals, improv, cold readings—I can do it all._

_-Marlon_

_To: Captain Pud_

_From: Papal Mache_

_Greetings, Mr. Pud! It is me, Papal Mache!_

_I am not so good with these computer devices, but I want to let you know that the Ziggurat is ready for you to turn on the doorway. I hope greatly for no Titans coming to ruin everything, but if you say there are no Titans then I will trust what you say._

_That is all. Will see you soon!_

_Papal Mache_

_To: Captain Pud_

_From: Pinky Buflooms_

_Good day to you, Captain Pud._

_I am writing to you now to inform you that all preparations have been made in Bunkum Lagoon, and I hereby decree that my magnificent kingdom is ready for the opening of the portal to Craftworld._

_This is strongly against my better judgment, but I will allow it. In return I am counting on you to handle things and take responsibility for anything that may happen. You would do well not to make me regret this decision._

_Sincerely,_

_Queen Pinky Buflooms_

Despite the harshness of the last message received, Captain Pud smiled. All of the preparations had been made, and each resident of Bunkum had been informed of the upcoming events. Everything seemed to be in order.

They were finally ready to open the dimensional doorway.

He climbed down from the airship and hopped onto the roof of the manor, then briskly made his way from there to the stairwell inside. He headed over hurriedly to the living room where his wife and son were waiting with anticipation, and he called to them with a bold tone in his voice.

“Today’s the day, my dears,” he announced, putting an arm around both of them. “Today we will open the doorway and venture into Craftworld.”

He had expected Newton to be the most excited of the two, but he was surprised to see that their enthusiasm seemed rather evenly matched. Nana Pud had a certain gleam in her eye that was always a welcome sight for him—one he could not the remember the last time he had seen.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve been over there,” she mused, her voice sounding particularly giddy. “It feels just like old times, wouldn’t you say, Captain?”

Captain Pud gave her a warm smile. “Indeed it does, darling. I expect it to be quite the big reunion.” He then looked over to Newton, who seemed to be lost in thought about something. “And how are you holding up, son? Are you excited? I know this has to be your first time going to Craftworld since…”

Newton jolted suddenly, and Captain Pud wondered what he could have possibly said that earned such a reaction. As far as he knew, he didn’t say anything especially out of the ordinary...

“Ah—y-yes! I’m most excited, Papa.” His child’s gaze met his own, and he was now seeing the true level of eagerness he felt on display. “I suppose I’m just...trying to remain composed. I wouldn’t want my first impression with the Alliance to be ruined on account of me falling into a squealing fit...”

The adventurer chuckled in response. “You don’t need to worry about that. The Alliance members are _mostly_ nonjudgmental people. Although I’m not so sure about Mr. Centrifuge...” The last sentence was but a murmur, and he hoped Newton wouldn’t take it to heart. He would hate to have ruined any of his heroes for him, no matter how he personally might have felt about them.

“All right then, shall we get going?”

Newton and Nana Pud both nodded their heads in agreement, and with that Captain Pud guided them up to the roof and towards the currently disabled portal. He then approached the control panel, and with the press of some buttons and the pull of a lever, the portal was open and functioning once again.

“Are we all ready to go through?”  
  
“We’re ready for anything!”

Captain Pud eyed Newton once more. “And you’ve figured out what you’re going to say?”

Newton nodded. “As I’ve said, every last letter, Papa!”  
  
“That’s a good lad.”

With those words left to hang in the air, the family of three hopped through the dimensional doorway.

————

Sackboy awoke to the sounds of people talking outside, familiar voices muffled by the tightly closed door. Feeling quite groggy but still curious about what might have been going on, he pulled himself out of the bed while holding in a groan—the freshly-sewn stitches on his back still stung a little—and headed towards the door.

  
There was a low creaking sound when he opened it up, and as the voices fell silent immediately afterwards, he knew right away that everyone was now aware of his presence.

“Ah, Sackthing!” he heard Larry call to him. “It’s good to know you’re awake. I do hope you’re feeling better than you were those few days ago. Won’t you come over here?”

Sackboy drowsily stumbled through the hallway, following the reverb of Larry’s voice. He hoped he was actually feeling better too, but at this point in time with his head so cloudy and his eyes so blurry it was hard to be sure. The dark thoughts on his mind did seem to have been dissipating bit by bit as the last few days went by, but he wasn’t too sure of how long their absence would last. He tended to get paranoid whenever he fell into low moods like this, and also who was to say that his staying over at the hideout wasn’t the only thing helping to keep them at bay?

  
Thinking about it all made him feel like he was twisting his brain around and putting more strain on it than it could handle. He hated every second of it. _What happened to those warm, floaty feelings from before…?_

He soon made his way over to where the others were, somewhat surprised at the sight of all the Alliance members gathering there. It was by no means the most unusual sight, but it was still a little odd considering that everyone was normally doing their own thing nowadays.

“How are you feeling, Sackboy?” Clive asked, ever the worrywart.

Sackboy gave his usual smile and thumbs-up in spite of his sleepiness, prompting a sigh from the calendar man. “Ah, yes…you’ve been doing that a lot lately…”

“Nevermind, Clive,” Larry responded dismissively before turning to face Sackboy. “Now I’m sure you remember what day it is, correct?”

The knitted one did his best to jog his memory, but his mind was still fogged up. He didn’t know how clear his struggling might have been, but after a moment’s pause Larry winked and pulled out a piece of paper, one that looked neatly folded up as if it were some type of letter.

The realization hit him hard, and in an instant his drowsiness was completely forgotten. He felt fully energized now, his eyes widening with hope and excitement as he remembered.

“I knew you wouldn’t have forgotten,” the bearded man chuckled as he put the letter back in his pocket. “As far as we can tell, they should be here any minute now. Why don’t you go get yourself dressed and presentable, and we’ll keep our incoming visitors entertained in the meantime, hm?”

“And we’ll make sure to evaluate this guy,” Eve added, raising an eyebrow. “To see if he is truly worthy of your love.”

Sackboy nodded and rushed back over to the guest bedroom he was staying in. It might have only been a week or so, but he felt like he hadn’t seen or spoken with Newton in forever. When he thought about seeing the inventor’s glowing smile again, or having his hand taken in his, or hearing him call him his “dear chum”—it made the happy, fluttery feelings come back with a vengeance, flooding his whole system once again.

After quickly washing himself, he scrolled through his Popit for an appropriate outfit to wear for the event. But soon his enthusiasm started to falter, making him slow down in turn.

_He was offline the whole week,_ he thought to himself as his hand stopped its scrolling motions. _What if he just doesn’t want to talk to me anymore?_

That thought might have come out of nowhere, but even in the midst of his excitement he still wasn’t feeling quite like himself. As nice as the fluttery feelings might have felt inside of him, they didn’t change the fact that he was recovering from the aftershocks of his anxiety attack those few days ago. And as a result he felt a little on-edge about everything, even things that had nothing to do with it.

_It’s just my dumb brain twisting everything into something bad. I know I can trust Newton now. I know that. But…_

In the end, Sackboy settled on a shirt, some shorts and his Wellington boots. He hurried out of his room and back to the main area, where he noticed the front entrance was now wide open. He could also see the rest of the Alliance crowding around the door, looking as if they were keeping watch.

“It looks like something’s happening out there now,” Victoria observed.

“Does anyone know if Sackthing’s returned yet?” Larry asked. “I wouldn’t want him to miss out on this.”

Avalon looked over his shoulder, flashing a grin upon seeing the silent one heading towards them. “No need to worry. Our hotshot’s coming this way now.”

The group parted once he had said this, making way so that Sackboy could get to the door, and as soon as he did he saw something out of place from further away. He ran off towards it with the other Alliance members following him, and when they were close enough they found themselves at the bridge. As Sackboy wondered why exactly he kept coming back to this particular place, he focused his sights on what didn’t fit in the picture.

_That looks like…the same portal they sent me through that day…but was something like this always here? I don’t think I’ve seen it here before…_

He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind when three figures emerged from the portal, and he recognized all three of them straightaway.  
  
“Oh! It seems like everyone’s already here,” Nana Pud exclaimed.

“That’s good,” replied a bearded lightbulb-head, whom Sackboy could only assume was Newton’s father—though while they _had_ technically met before, it was nowhere near long enough to make a proper impression. “Then we can reintroduce ourselves right away.”

Sackboy’s gaze shifted towards Newton, who was standing right between his parents and glancing around the area before he caught him looking. The moment their eyes met, his face broke into a big grin, the glow of his head increasing tenfold.

“It’s so good to see you again, dear friend!” he beamed, and Sackboy wondered how much of his enthusiasm was sincere. “I must say, you look quite lovely today!”

The compliment was enough to make the silent hero’s heart pick up the pace, and he hoped that his feelings weren’t so clearly visible, for both his sake and Newton’s. Still, he couldn’t help but relish in what he had just heard. _Lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely…_

It would seem that Newton’s words caught his father’s attention, because the older lightbulb-head was now looking his way. “Ah! Good day to you. You must be Sackboy, I presume?”

Sackboy nodded and gave a shy but polite wave, feeling a bit nervous being in the presence of his friend’s family again.

Newton’s father held out his hand. “My name is Captain Pud. I don’t know if you remember me, but I am Newton’s father. It’s great to properly meet you!”

Sackboy accepted the hand offered to him and shook it in greeting, giving him a friendly smile. He had to admit, he could see where Newton was coming from when he’d hyped his father up to be such an amazing creator. He had only really known him for a minute or two now, and he was already picking up a somewhat untouchable aura from him, feeling intimidated just by standing near him.

To his relief (not that he actually felt uncomfortable), that was when Larry went over to talk with them. “Is that you, Captain Pud? It has been a while, I have to say.”

“It has indeed, Mr. Da Vinci,” Captain Pud agreed with a nod. “It’s very good to see you again.”

  
“To what do we owe this long-awaited visit?” Larry asked.

Captain Pud cleared his throat before he spoke up again, making sure everyone else in the area could hear him. “We have arrived today to announce that we’re opening up a dimensional doorway, a device that will allow the residents of both our worlds to travel wherever they please. I am here to gather all of your thoughts on the matter—I think that if we officially join forces, we’ll be able to raise the Imagisphere’s creativity to higher levels than ever before!”

Larry nodded in approval. “That does sound good to me. Perhaps we should discuss this in more detail inside?”

He gestured towards the entrance to his hideout, and as Captain Pud went over to talk with him further, Sackboy looked away to see Newton approaching him.

“So how are you holding up?” he whispered to him. “I know all of this is rather strange…”

Before Sackboy had any time to answer the question, Captain Pud looked back over at the two of them. “Ah yes, that’s right. While we’re talking about how to handle this, I wanted to have my son apologize to you for all that he’s done. You’ll be glad to know that he’s progressing well on his road to self-betterment...”

Larry blinked in confusion. “Apologize? What’s he done?”

Captain Pud shook his head. “I’ll explain everything to you all when we head inside. But you have nothing to be concerned with now. Newton is prone to misguided plans and clumsy accidents, but I can assure you that he’s been getting better.”

As he said this, Sackboy noticed Newton’s expression faltering, turning to a mix of tiredness and slight embarrassment. He looked as if he were trying to telepathically tell his dad, “We’ve already heard this explanation twenty-thousand times now!”

“But anyhow,” Captain Pud went on, “seeing as he’d dragged you into his mess, Sackboy, I want you to have our sincerest apologies, as well as our greatest gratitude. So when Newton’s finished, please stay around—we have something else planned for when we finish this meeting.”

Sackboy nodded in cooperation, but on the inside he felt unsure about what they would actually do. After all, they’d already met up again and made amends with one another, so the mission Newton’s father set up for him had been accomplished long ago—not that he knew about that, of course.

“Well, all right then,” Larry sighed. “Let’s go inside and hear this explanation of yours.”

He and Captain Pud began to walk towards the hideout’s entrance, with Nana Pud and the rest of the Alliance barring Sackboy soon to follow. As the others went through the doorway, Larry looked back over his shoulder, catching the attention of the knitted one.

“You two have fun, but be careful, won’t you?” he called out to them.

Sackboy nodded and waved goodbye as he watched the elder go through the door, promptly closing it behind him and leaving the two of them alone outside. Not a moment later, Newton turned to face him with an inviting smile on his glassy face.

“Shall we take a walk?” he suggested.

————

_It feels odd meeting with Sackboy again,_ Newton thought to himself as they strolled along a path leading to nowhere. _Now that I know what my true feelings are…I wonder if he’s noticed them at all?_

He turned his head to watch his silent friend, who seemed to be taking in whatever surroundings they were passing. Upon closer inspection (as close as it could get without making himself too obvious, at any rate), it looked like his mind might have been somewhere else if the expression in his eyes was anything to go by. It led Newton to wonder what exactly he was thinking about. He wanted to follow his thoughts to wherever they were and unravel the mystery bit by bit.

_Maybe he’s daydreaming? He does seem like the daydreamy type._ Newton felt himself grow warmer inside just thinking about it. _Just what are his dreams about, though? Knowing him, they must be incredible…_

“It’s quite odd, isn’t it?” he spoke up, deciding to strike up a conversation before things could become awkward. “The idea of both our worlds coming together like this…I’ve never pictured it happening until today, have you?”

Sackboy shook his head. Newton supposed that was fair enough—he wasn’t entirely sure if the smaller one even _knew_ about Bunkum before their first meeting.

“So what do you think of it?” he asked. “I mean, it’s a big change to be sure, but...it will definitely be a change for the better, wouldn’t you agree?”

Sackboy nodded. His eyes still looked like they were somewhere else, however, staring off to the side as the sunlight hit them, giving them a gleam.

“And it means we’ll be able to see more of each other!” Newton added with a grin. “That will certainly be more exciting, won’t it? I won’t even have to sneak around anymore to see you!”

Sackboy nodded again, this time turning his head slightly to look at Newton. There was a small smile on his face that made the lightbulb-head’s heart melt into a puddle of sugary substance.

_He’s just so...pretty!! How can one person be so pretty?!_

It didn’t last too long, though. Only a moment later, Sackboy turned his head back to its original position and continued looking lost in his thoughts. At that point Newton began to wonder if there was something wrong. While it was true that the knitted one was as quiet as quiet got, it felt like something was off about the mood he was conveying.

“Is everything all right, dear chum?” he finally asked. “You don’t look like you’re doing so well...”

Sackboy jolted from his daze at those words, and was quick to respond with his usual smile and thumbs-up. But Newton was skeptical.

“Are you sure?” he persisted. “Because you seem quieter today...well, in your own way, of course.”

Sackboy nodded vigorously as if he were trying to act more insistent about his answer, but that didn’t dissuade Newton’s suspicions. Although he had no desire to be confrontational, his intuition remained strong in telling him that his friend was hiding something.

“Why don’t we go sit somewhere for bit?” he suggested, taking Sackboy’s hand in his. “Are you fine with that, chum?”

Had it not been for his focus on the silent one’s mood, he might have become extremely flustered and embarrassed after immediately realizing what he had done. But he only kept his eyes on his expression, knowing full well that it was crucial in their communication.

Sackboy looked off to the aside, seeming to be very shy all of a sudden, and if Newton didn’t know any better he would have thought he’d seen a pink tint on his cheeks. But once again, he wasn’t focused on much else except making sure he was truly doing okay, and so the only thing that really registered in his mind was the nod in acceptance.

“Splendid! Let us go then!”

He led his sackchum back over to the bridge where they sat side-by-side on the edge. _We always seem to keep coming back to this place,_ he thought. _First I abducted him here...then I apologized to him here...and now..._

Newton shook his head, putting those memories aside. This was no time to dwell on the past. He instead needed to focus on what was right next to him. And with that thought at the front of his mind, he pulled out the pen and notepad waiting for him in his coat pocket.

“Please write to me,” he said as he handed them over, trying to keep the pleading tone out of his voice. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Sackboy seemed hesitant, his hand trembling as he took the pen and let it hover just above the paper.

“I-It’s not that I don’t trust you!” Newton quickly reassured him. “You _are_ my best friend after all, and I’d trust you with my life! It’s just that I know you well enough by now to know that...that....”

His voice faltered upon seeing the sheer anxiety that showed itself on Sackboy’s face. He felt his heart sinking at the sight of that expression. _What could have happened that’s gotten my little chum so nervous?_

_“_...I know that you have the bad habit of constantly putting others before yourself,” he continued on. “You always resort to that smile whenever someone asks about your wellbeing. But you can’t keep going on like that...since I first came here I promised to do right by you. And that is a promise I intend to keep.”

As he finished speaking, he noticed Sackboy’s button eyes begin to tear up, and he worried that he might have been too hard on him before he saw him nod and start writing in the notepad. It took him longer than it usually did, and whenever Newton tried to get a peek he immediately hid it away from him. But after some time had passed, he finally gave it back.

~~_do you hate me?_ ~~

~~_are you mad at m_ ~~

~~_are you getting bored with_ ~~

_Itsnothing really, im fine_

It looked like he had worked hard to cross out most of his message, but Newton could still just barely make out what he had written.

“Where in Bunkum is all this coming from?” he asked incredulously. “The answer to _all_ of your questions is _no!_ There’s no way I could feel any of that towards you, old chum.”

He handed the notepad back over, hoping he’d made it clear enough that he wanted an explanation. Sackboy must have taken the hint, because he immediately went to writing, but soon he started crossing things out again.

Newton grabbed the notepad back before he could get too far.

~~_i just hav_ ~~ _ent heard from you in a whi_

Though the sentence was unfinished, it didn’t have to be for Newton to understand what happened.

“I see…so that’s what made you think…?” he murmured to himself, taking in the message and realizing how the silent one might have reached the conclusion that he did. “I’m sorry about that, dear friend. We’ve just been so busy, ehrm, preparing Bunkum for the grand reopening today that I didn’t have any time to message or visit…but I had no intention of ignoring you!”

His explanation was partially true, at any rate. He _did_ work his hardest in assisting his parents with preparations, but it was not the only thing keeping him occupied that week. He was focused on his own secret project as well, having spent every moment of his free time on his new creation in between helping his family—he _had_ to, in order to accomplish it without a Popit. And as a result, he barely had any time leftover to take care of himself, let alone go up to the airship. Not once did he even consider that Sackboy might have been waiting for him.

Already the smaller of the two was writing a new note, biting his lip as if he were trying not to get upset. His handwriting seemed to grow messier with each line.

_im sorry imbeing stupid_

_i just had a really bad week and i waslonely_

_i didntwanna accuse youor anythingijust felt reallyreally_

“There, there,” the inventor soothed him, placing his hands on his shoulders. “You had no idea what was going on. There’s no need to call yourself stupid over something like this.” He moved away a bit to give him some space, locking his eyes on the others’. “It was only a simple misunderstanding. If anything, I should have let you know ahead of time that I wouldn’t be available. I’m sorry.”

Sackboy sniffed softly, then rubbed the tears out of his eyes. A moment had passed as he managed to get ahold of himself, and then a small smile finally graced his features—a real one this time.

Newton smiled in return. “I’ll be sure to make it all up to you. We’re planning to leave the doorway open, so let’s spend a lot more time together from now on, okay?”

Sackboy grinned and nodded in excitement, and Newton felt as if his heart would melt away once more.

————

“So let me get this straight,” said Avalon, eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Your son Newton captured Sackboy and made him release some weird monster, got demonically possessed and tried to destroy your world? And you’re still allowing him to run rampant around both our worlds?”

“Now—Now, Avalon,” Larry spoke up, doing his best to calm the orange-haired man. “We weren’t there to see exactly what happened, so we mustn’t…”

Captain Pud ducked his head down solemnly. “No…it’s perfectly understandable. Tensions have been at an all-time high in Bunkum as well. I can see why your trust would be difficult to earn after this.”

“We _do_ trust you,” Larry responded insistently. “But it’s only natural for us to be taken aback by this news. And this is without mention of the fact that we have our own crisis to deal with too…”

“Your own crisis?” Captain Pud’s eyes widened with concern. “What have you been dealing with? If there’s anything we can do to help at all—“

Larry shook his head. “I’m afraid it isn’t so simple.”  
  
“Well, the thing of it is,” Clive stammered, looking around the room with an awkward expression, “we really don’t know much of anything about this situation. There’s this gunk that somehow contaminated our sackbots, and we’re still trying to figure out what it is and why it’s here…”

“We cannot be sure that it would be safe for outsiders to be involved,” Eve explained. “It is nothing personal.”

Despite his reluctant look, the bearded lightbulb-head nodded in acceptance. “I understand. Still, if there’s anything we can do—anything at all—don’t hesitate to call on us for help.”

“Can we get back to the subject of how this Newton guy _tried to destroy the world?!_ ” Avalon asked, exasperated.

“But it wasn’t entirely his fault,” Victoria protested. “He didn’t know just how dangerous it would be…”  
  
“They were trapped inside a tea tin,” Avalon argued, “and he was given _multiple warnings_ not to open it. How could he not be aware of how dangerous it was?”  
  
“It’s my fault, really,” Captain Pud sighed. “I should’ve made more of an effort to make that tin more secure. Looking back on it, it was all too easy for anyone to come by and open it.”

“Our Newty means no harm to anyone,” Nana Pud insisted. “He just doesn’t know any better. Honestly. He’s dealt with struggle after struggle all his life—he was born without a Popit, he’s bearing the weight of his own expectations, and inspiration has _never_ been easy for him to come by…” She leaned in a bit closer to the Alliance members, a pleading look in her eyes. “I know it might be a difficult request…but please, I implore you, give our Newty a chance. You’ll see in time that he has only good intentions.”

Silence flooded the hideout as the Alliance members glanced around at one another, thinking over the couple’s words and trying to figure out what course of action to take.

“Well, what do the rest of you think?” Victoria asked uneasily.

Avalon narrowed his eyes. “ _I_ still think something’s fishy. I don’t feel good about this…and this is _me_ talking, so you know that’s something!”

“What do _you_ think, Da Vinci?” Clive asked, looking toward Larry’s direction. “You’re the official leader of the Alliance, after all…so you probably know best.”  
  
This comment earned him a pouting look from Avalon, but everyone else promptly ignored that in favor of eyeing Larry curiously. The elder looked down at his hands in contemplation, thinking about everything he had known about Newton. He _did_ have the reputation of a troublemaker, but he was a very dedicated student during his time in Popit Academy, despite what his grades would have led one to believe. And he knew that those grades took quite the toll on the young man’s mindset, as from that day on he’d never heard a word from him again, only hearing from his parents on occasion about the family’s whereabouts. He was certain that Newton wasn’t evil by any means—his thought process was merely muddled up, rendering him unable to think clearly and driving him to make reckless decisions.

And that was just from his memories and hearsay. He also felt the need to take into account the few times he had seen him recently, especially when Sackboy was with him. His genuine interest in Sackboy’s mysterious origins, how protective he appeared when Sackboy was sleeping on his lap, and his determination in general when it came to help him out.

_“All I want is to help him. He looked so upset the other night, a-and…it pained me to see him like that…I just thought I could finally do right by him for once…”_

The words of the lightbulb-head echoed in his brain, carrying a deeper resonation with them now. At that point, he made his decision.

“ I say we should give Newton a chance,” he announced at last. “As his former professor, I think I’ve gathered enough of an impression on him to say that he has good intentions, even if he has a rather misguided manner of acting on them.”

The other Alliance members nodded in agreement with this, before they turned their heads to look toward Avalon. Larry could understand why, as he certainly was the most outspoken about his thoughts on the matter.

Avalon looked around, a conflicted expression written on his features, before he released a heavy sigh and nodded in resignation. “All right, all right. If you guys think it’s fine, I’ll go along with it.” He then stood up from his seat and pointed dramatically at Larry. “But! If anything goes wrong because of this, you’re taking responsibility! And _I’m_ taking your spot as the true leader of the Alliance!”

Larry responded with a chuckle, having long been used to his colleague’s shenanigans by now. “Very well. Then it’s decided that we shall leave the dimensional doorway open. Meeting adjourned!”

The group left the hideout together, with Larry lingering behind with his thoughts. For all of his confidence in his choice, he still wondered if he had actually made the correct decision. Of course, no matter what choice was made, he knew that there would always be at least a hint of doubt remaining in himself—it was natural for everyone, after all, especially for someone in his position. _But even so…_

The unfinished thought hung in his head as he followed the rest of them out, and he was greeted by the sound of someone yelling in the distance.

“Aaaauuughh!! It’s no use, I hope you know! You’ll never catch me!”

Startled by the sound, the elder looked towards the source to see Newton running past him, the wide smile on his face and the laughter following his words of faux-panic making it clear that there was no real danger. As soon as he ran by, Sackboy was quick to pass him next, a determined grin knitted in his features as he sprinted. He stood by the rest of the Alliance and the Puds, watching in awe as Sackboy kept chasing Newton around until he ended up taking out a strange gadget and using it to pull him towards him.

_Wait a moment…is that the Pumpinator Newton’s worked on back in the day?!_

Newton yelped in surprise as the Pumpinator’s suction brought him closer to Sackboy, barely having time to react when the motion stopped and the silent hero jumped up and playfully tackled him down to the ground from behind.

“Oof…using my own devices against me, eh?” The inventor squirmed in Sackboy’s grasp, clearly trying to hold back a fit of laughter. “You little cheater! How dare you!”

Though he struggled quite a bit, none of his movements did anything to deter Sackboy’s tight hold on him. He stopped struggling soon enough, then looked back at him with a silly smile lighting up his glassy face. “All right, all right, you win. I’ll carry you around for the rest of the day.”  
  
Sackboy seemed pleased enough by that statement, loosening his hold just enough for Newton to stand back up again. True to his word he grabbed onto his legs, allowing him to be his passenger before he turned around to see everyone else watching. “Ah! Hello there, sirs and madams! I take it the meeting went well?”

The hint of doubt might have always remained, but looking at the joyful faces of both his former student and his current apprentice, Larry felt more certain of himself and the choice he had made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit you guys just be boyfriends already aaaagghhhh


	30. Dinner with the Puds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sackboy stays over at Stitchem Manor for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaghhhh dammit dammit dammit dammit
> 
> I originally had something else planned for this chapter besides the dinner/sleepover scene but then the chapter got to be over 7,000 words long
> 
> I didn't want it to feel super heavy or cluttered so I decided it'd be best to split it into two
> 
> So now I've been cryptic and mysterious in the comments section for nothing

“And here we are!” Newton chirped as the group made it to the other side of the dimensional doorway. “Home sweet home! It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”

Sackboy nodded, still holding onto Newton’s shoulders as everyone took in their surroundings. Bunkum indeed seemed to be doing well, looking the same way he remembered it before the Titans incident happened. Were it not for his vivid memories of it, he might have dismissed it as just a bad dream.

“And that over there is our home,” Captain Pud said, pointing towards the manor in the distance. “Stitchem Manor—it’s been home to the Pud family for countless generations. And—“ He turned around to look at Sackboy, a welcoming smile on his face. “—it’s where I _hope_ you’ll be joining us for a feast.”

Sackboy’s eyes widened with surprise at those words. Just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things he pointed to himself questioningly, as if to ask if they really wanted _him_ to eat with them.

“Of course we mean you!” Captain Pud chuckled. “After everything you’ve done for Bunkum, a great dinner is the least we could do to thank you! We owe you much more than that, of course...” His smile grew warmer as he spoke. “...but we’d like to start with that.”

Suddenly feeling shy, Sackboy ducked his head downward, hiding his face in Newton’s shoulder in the process as he was brought into the manor’s foyer. He hadn’t even fully realized what he’d done until he felt glass softly impact his face, and when he looked up to see that Newton had turned his head, he began to feel all the more bashful.

“I’m afraid you have no say in the matter,” he said with a smirk. “My parents are very adamant about being the best hosts. You won’t be leaving here on an empty stomach.”

Captain Pud rose an eyebrow in bemusement. “I mean, he’s right, but...you could’ve worded that in a less threatening manner, Newton.” He walked over to the pair, his own smirk lighting up his face. “And just how long are you planning to carry our guest around like that?”

Newton grinned triumphantly, securing his grip on Sackboy’s legs. “I promised I’d carry him all day if he beat me at our game. And beat me he did.” He looked back at his passenger again, shooting him a look of fake annoyance. “With my own invention, I might add! Can you believe it?”

Nana Pud giggled at them. “You two’ve certainly made up fast...you’d only met again today after four months, and already you’re joined at the hip!”

Sackboy knew that there was no suspicion behind her words, but he also knew of Newton’s tendency to look for problems where they weren’t any, and he wondered if he might have been dealing with that sort of stress now. Just in case he was, he gave the lightbulb-head a gentle squeeze in support. But if he _was_ feeling any anxiety, he didn’t seem to be letting it show at the moment.

“W-Well, maybe we just happened to click!” he replied, a strange pink glow showing through the glass that formed his head. The silent one stared at it curiously, unsure of what else to interpret it as other than a blush.

_I guess Newton’s the type to get embarrassed easily?...that’s actually really cute..._

He was just grateful that none of the Puds could read his mind.

“All right, all right,” said Captain Pud. “If that’s the case, would you mind carrying the lad over to the table?”

“Right on it, Papa!” Newton answered with a sharp nod before heading where he was instructed. He made his way to the dining room and, once at the table, carefully guided Sackboy off of his back and onto the chair. He set him down with such gentleness that the knitted one nearly melted right where he was sat.  
  
“Don’t worry,” his taller friend said with a knowing smile. “I’ll resume carrying you whenever you need to move again. In the meantime, I’d best go help Papa and Mumsy set things up!”

Even after he had left for the kitchen, Sackboy tried to hold in a giggle. He hadn’t expected Newton to be _this_ dedicated to carrying him around like that, but he was by no means complaining about it. It made those warm feelings inside of him intensify after all, and it allowed him to fantasize for a bit even if it would never amount to anything.

_Although…I don’t really like the idea of that…_ Sackboy glanced down at his lap, feeling downcast at the mere thought of it. _But what are the chances that he feels the same way? There’s no way that’s possible right? Even though it hurts to think about…_

“I apologize for the wait!” he heard Captain Pud call from the kitchen, cutting off his train of thought. “It won’t be for much longer!”

Soon enough, he could pick up the scent of various breakfast foods growing nearer. It took him a bit by surprise, as he hadn’t pictured the Puds as a “breakfast for dinner” sort of family, but he didn’t mind at all.

It actually smelled immensely delicious.

————

Sackboy seemed to be enjoying all the food once it had finally come out. Of course, there was hardly ever a soul who didn’t take an instant liking to Nana Pud’s culinary prowess. She tended to go all out with her cooking whenever they had company over, and tonight was no exception—if anything, it seemed like she went out of her way to make it especially extravagant. Her hard work really paid off, as Sackboy was now unable to stop putting the food in his mouth.

“Is everything tasting all right, dear?” Nana Pud asked, as if she needed a clearer answer to the question than the one she was already getting.

Sackboy paused his eating for a moment in order to nod eagerly. Newton only watched quietly as he ate at a slower pace, unable to keep himself from smiling at his little chum’s enthusiasm. Just the sight of him being so happy was enough to make him feel like he was floating off into the air.

Captain Pud gave an earnest smile. “We’re glad to know that you like it. As I’ve said, it’s the least we can do for you.”  
  
Sackboy simply smiled back and shrugged, as if to tell him that it was nothing. The knitted one was always so modest, Newton noticed, even disregarding the fact that he couldn’t speak. He did think it was odd how someone so talented could also be so modest, but it was just another thing that made him so endearing.

“We didn’t have nearly enough time to thank you last we met,” Captain Pud said after sipping his drink for a moment. “But I want you to know that we truly are grateful for everything you’ve done for us and our planet. We will all be forever in your debt.”

Nana Pud nodded. “I also must apologize to you for back then—for accusing you of leading Newty astray.” Her face fell into an expression of regret. “At the time I was confused, and so frightened I…ended up jumping to conclusions. All that was on my mind was keeping my little Newty safe from harm’s way, and the very thought of the Titans hurting him was enough to drive me mad...”

At that point Newton wanted to lock himself up inside the bathroom and hide away in there for the rest of his life. He knew his mother’s words came from a place of love, and it was one thing when she rambled like this with just him and his father present (albeit there would still be some embarrassment in the air), but not in front of visitors—and not in front of his secret love! He looked over to Sackboy, hoping to the heights of the Imagisphere that he wasn’t laughing discreetly, and he was relieved to see that that was not the case at all.

That is, until he saw slight discomfort on his face instead. _What’s going on? Is he not feeling too well?_

_“_ Ah...dear me, I’ve gone off on a tangent again,” Nana Pud sighed. “Sorry about that. But also, I’m sorry for being so harsh on you back then. It all just came from a place of worry, you understand?”

Sackboy nodded slowly and gave her a reassuring smile, and while Newton felt better upon seeing his family and his closest friend getting along, there was a part of him that wondered if he could really move past those sorts of memories so easily. After all, the first time they’d met up again it seemed like his memories were still hurting him quite a bit.

_And not to mention his putting his own feelings aside to accommodate to everyone else’s…_

“But we do owe you so much,” Nana Pud went on. “I couldn’t even bear to imagine what would have happened to my Newty if you hadn’t been there… _or_ the whole world, for that matter.”

Captain Pud nodded in agreement. “Indeed. If there’s anything you might need from us—anything at all—please let us know. It doesn’t matter what size favor it is. Whatever you may need, we’ll do our best to help.”

Sackboy held up his hands as if he were trying to tell him that they didn’t have to do that. Strangely enough, he looked a bit more uncomfortable than before in spite of his smile—at least, according to Newton’s observation.

“You are far too modest, you know,” Captain Pud remarked. “But you needn’t downplay it so much. You’ve done so many incredible things, and you should be proud of all of your accomplishments…although, since you’ve most likely dealt with a good deal of Mr. Centrifuge’s egomania, I can understand why you might prefer not to express it so much.”

There was a small smirk on his face that made it clear he had meant that as a joke, but as Newton looked closer, he noticed it didn’t look like the knitted hero quite registered it as one. If anything, he looked as if he were becoming rather overwhelmed, which was fair enough—these events happening one after the other today were enough to put anyone out of commission.

Newton’s mother must have noticed the faltering expression as well, because she leaned in a bit closer with worry in her eyes, as if she was planning to inspect him. “You don’t look so good…you’re not having indigestion, are you?”

Right as Sackboy shook his head, the inventor got up from his seat. “I don’t think that’s it, Mumsy. He seems more like he’s worn himself out.” He wrapped an arm around the silent one’s shoulders and flashed a smile at her. “And I’d say that’s understandable—going off to another world is bound to take a lot out of you! Not to mention all the scrumptious food you made for him. He’s no doubt ready to drift off now, aren’t you, chum?”

He looked down at Sackboy, hoping he’d go along with it. In truth he wasn’t sure if his smaller friend was actually tired or not, but he did get the hint that all of the attention being placed on him made him feel extremely uneasy, and he seemed to be in need of rescuing. Fortunately Sackboy nodded in response, and Newton was quick to scoop him out of his chair.

“Again with the carrying, Newty?” Nana Pud asked, raising an eyebrow.

The lightbulb-head’s confident grin returned. “I _did_ promise him, didn’t I? Besides, he looks quite tired…if he ended up tripping on the stairs, I’d never be able to forgive myself!” He adjusted the position of his passenger, making sure he felt comfortable in the odd bridal-hold he had him in and completely missing the blushing, wide-eyed stare he was receiving. “Now then, I shall bring him up to my room right away—“

“Don’t be silly, Newty,” Nana Pud gently chided him. “There’s a perfectly good guest bedroom you can set him up in, you know!”  
  
“Ah—y-yes! Of course!” Newton replied, hoping that the pink glow coming back to his cheeks was visible to no one else but him. “It seems I’m getting ahead of myself…I suppose you’re not the only one this day’s been draining for, eh, old chum?”

Sackboy looked up at him with a small smile that he _swore_ would end up destroying his bulb-head from overheating. He managed to keep his cool, however, at least long enough to carry him upstairs and drop him off at the bathroom door.

“I’ll leave you to take care of things,” he said, “and then I’ll come back and show you to your room!”  
  
Sackboy gave a cheerful wave in response, and once the door blocked the two them from one another, Newton went over to the other end of the hallway in order get into the next phase of his plan. He pulled out a note he’d been keeping in his pocket, already written out save for one line, and held it up against the wall to finish it up.

“Let’s see,” he murmured to himself as he looked the note over intently. “If he really _is_ tired, I wouldn’t want him to go and strain himself just for this…so if he’s going to bed soon, probably around 9, and the average being needs at least six or seven hours of sleep to manage themselves…”

“You seem to be quite wrapped up in your thoughts.”

Newton yelped out, startled by the gruff voice speaking to him now. He turned himself around to see his father standing there and smiled at him with as much confidence as he could muster. “Oh, Papa! I didn’t notice you’d come up here!”

“Evidently not,” Captain Pud replied. “So why exactly are you talking about hours of sleep?”

“Ahaha! Well, uh…” Newton forced the gears in his head to turn at a high speed to whip up an excuse. “…I was…thinking up an idea for a new invention! You see, I’d just realized that we all tend to use up quite a lot of time on sleeping, a-and because of that we might not be able to create as many things as we’d like to. So, I…thought maybe it’d be good to build something to help stave off the troublesome need for rest!”

He thought it was as good an excuse as any, but he was all too aware of how intelligent his father was, and so he internally braced himself for the worst case scenario. But it seemed like even after all this time, his surplus of luck still had yet to run out, as the bearded lightbulb-head smiled at him in reminiscence.

“You’ve always been so ambitious,” he sighed, “even when you were but a small boy. You wouldn’t even let a lack of inspiration deter you.”

Newton let out a laugh, mostly out of relief. “W-Well, I learned it from the best, didn’t I?”

The two of them chuckled a bit before Captain Pud’s expression became serious, albeit still somehow pleasant at the same time.

“In all honesty,” he spoke with a certain warmth in his eyes, “I’m very proud of you, Newton.”

Newton’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh—wh-what? Really?”  
  
“Of course!” Captain Pud replied. “You’ve done very well tonight, son. I hadn’t expected you and Sackboy to get along so great in such a short amount of time! You were certainly right when you said you happened to click.”

Newton nodded, a real smile now spreading uncontrollably across his face. “It would seem so…he really is an amazing person.” He looked downward at the floor, a light wave of guilt washing over him and making his smile falter slightly. “I hope I can be better to him this time. Really…become the type of companion he deserves.”

Captain Pud gave him a pat on the back. “I don’t think you need to worry so much about that. You two already seem to be getting along like two peas in a pod, and you’ve made it clear that you have learned from your mistakes. I have a feeling that you will form a beautiful, close-knit friendship with him.”  
  
“You really think so, Papa?” Newton asked, looking back up at his father as he felt a bit more hopeful.

“I know so,” Captain Pud answered, pulling the inventor into a hug. “You’ve really come a long way over these last four months, Newton. And I can tell that things will only keep improving from here.”

Newton returned the hug, making sure to commit this particular moment to his memory. He hardly ever saw his father so often, let alone had such exchanges with him, and he wanted whatever experiences like this he would receive to be as vivid and clear in his head as possible.

“All right, I’d better head back down,” the adventurer sighed after they parted from the hug. “If you go to bed before I see you again, goodnight. And be sure to say goodnight to Sackboy for me as well. Don’t let yourselves get too carried away in your…carrying.”

Newton nodded. “I’ll do that! Goodnight, Papa.”

By the time Captain Pud climbed down the stairs, the toilet flushing could be heard from the bathroom and Newton knew he didn’t have much time left before Sackboy would come out from there.

He hurried over to the guest bedroom.

————

After turning off the faucet, Sackboy opened the door just a crack to peek outside. He thought he might have heard Newton talking with his father in the hall about a minute ago, but he ended up spacing out and didn’t pick up on anything they had possibly said. The hall seemed completely empty now, not a soul in sight, despite Newton telling him he’s show him to the guest bedroom.

_Maybe he forgot,_ he thought, _but it’s not a big deal. It was just a silly thing for a game...probably._

Well, he thought this, but for him to deny his disappointment of not being in his crush’s arms again would have been an absolute lie. He pushed that feeling aside and went to step out of the bathroom when he heard footsteps heading towards him rapidly.

“Ah-ah, no no no no noooo!” Newton exclaimed as he ran back to him, a mischievous grin lighting up his face. “I didn’t say you could touch the floor!”

Sackboy nearly burst into a fit of giggles upon witnessing just how seriously the lightbulb-head was taking this, and it only grew harder to hold them in when he was grabbed by the hips and lifted off the floor.

“You didn’t think I forgot, did you?” Newton asked as he peered up at the knitted one, holding him up in the air.

Sackboy turned his head to the side in a feeble attempt to hide his expression. His face felt so warm at this moment that he had no doubt an intense blush was on full display, and he didn’t want Newton to see it and start asking questions. Fortunately it didn’t happen, but much to his increasing embarrassment Newton opted to drape him over his shoulder instead.

“Oh, how the tables have turned! Now _you’re_ the one who’s been captured!” Though he could not see his face, he could clearly picture the definite smirk he was wearing. “All right, let’s get you to your room, shall we?”

Sackboy kept his head lifted up to the best of his ability as Newton headed down the hallway, still leaving him to dangle over his shoulder all the while. It was times like this where the silent hero cursed his small stature, as it would allow others to drag him into things like this with ease. Even so, he wasn’t angry—a little annoyed, and quite embarrassed, but by no means was he angry. He knew that Newton was only being playful, even if he was doing so in a rather irritating manner.

Soon enough the two of them arrived at the guest bedroom, and Newton set Sackboy down on the bed, with the same gentleness he had earlier when he brought him to the chair. It was enough to make his feelings of annoyance disappear entirely, replaced by the warmth in his chest he still hadn’t grown used to.

“This is it! You should be able to get nice and cozy in here.” Newton took a bow, as if he was acting as Sackboy’s new butler or something similar. “Is there anything you need, or shall I leave you to it?”

Sackboy simply shook his head and waved to his taller friend with a grateful smile. Newton returned the smile before moving closer and pulling him into a hug. The knitted one sat still in his arms for a moment, surprised by the amount of physical contact with Newton he’d had in just a day.

_Why is Newton so clingy all of a sudden?...does he know...?_

“Thank you for dealing with everything today,” Newton murmured. “My parents can be talkative when it comes to visitors—I apologize for not warning you earlier. But I truly appreciate you going along with all this. It really helps.”

Sackboy gave him a supportive pat on the back, smiling awkwardly as they parted from the hug. He knew it must have been stressful for him, having to keep things secret for the whole day, and he was just happy that he could have made that anxiety easier to manage.

Newton went to the door and opened it, looking at Sackboy over his shoulder one more time before stepping out. “Well then...goodnight, dear chum! Have sweet dreams, and I’ll see you later!”

After Sackboy waved in response, the door was closed. And it was right at that moment he realized a small anomaly in Newton’s last words.

_He said “see you later”...don’t people normally say “see you in the morning” or “tomorrow” or something? “Later” sounds kinda like a weird choice of words..._ He shook his head. _I’m probably thinking too much. He might just be super tired too...and anyway, it’s not like it was incorrect, right?_

Dismissing that train of thought, the knitted one looked around at his surroundings. The room was indeed quite nice, if not a bit plain as guest rooms tended to be, with just about the right amount of space for someone to feel comfortable inside of it. The bed felt fluffy and soft, its covers warm and thick, and on the nightstand next to it sat an old-fashioned alarm clock. Overall it had a rather cozy feel to it, and Sackboy began to feel sleepy just thinking about it.

He laid his head down on one of the pillows, brought out of his haze by the sound of a paper crinkling underneath it. He sat up once again, now curious about what could have been hiding, and reached under the pillow to pull out a letter that had apparently been waiting there for him.

_My dear Sackboy,_

_I would greatly appreciate it if you could meet me behind the manor at around 4:30 AM._

_There’s something I wish to show you that I think would deeply interest you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Newton Pud_

_P.S. Make sure you wear something warm. The Peaks can get chilly late at night!_

...well. This was certainly intriguing. Sackboy couldn’t help feeling excited at the prospect of a secret rendezvous with Newton, wondering what exactly the meeting could be about. It actually reminded him a little of when they had first met and made that plan to save Bunkum not so long ago...

_...no, don’t think about that! Newton’s good now, remember? He wouldn’t hurt me like that again..._ Sackboy shook his head vigorously as if he were trying to shake the thought out of his brain.

Either way, he didn’t think he’d be able to sleep now, being so curious and impatient for 4:30 to arrive. But he knew he would at least have to try, or else it was going to be a long wait.

And so he set the alarm clock by his side so it would go off at the right time, lied back down and shut his eyes as he prepared to doze off for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...well, on the upside, at least I've got a good portion of chapter 31 written now...
> 
> So sorry for the long wait on this one, this (these?) chapter(s?) been through writing/editing hell


	31. Tower of love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night rendezvous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm I wonder what's gonna happen
> 
> Probably something super boring and not noteworthy at all

The next several hours passed rather slowly for Newton as he sat restlessly in his room. He spent the time performing various activities including, but not limited to, pacing around his room, drifting in and out of sleep, looking through certain blueprints and looking out the window.

His creation was waiting in the distance for him—a building containing an assortment of pleasures he asked around about in secret. It did not turn out exactly the way he wanted it too—thinking back on it none of his inventions ever really did—but it was the best he could build with his capabilities and the allotted time.

_I didn’t have to use duct tape this time, so surely that must count for something!_ he thought in an attempt to bring himself more hope. But no matter how competent it was in comparison to his past projects, only one thing regarding it was important to him.

Whether or not Sackboy would enjoy it, and what his answer would be in the end.

Newton felt his stomach begin to do somersaults repeatedly inside him, and he forced himself to take deep breaths. With every passing second his anxiety over the upcoming meeting grew more powerful, and he started to wonder if this was truly a good idea. The very thought of possible rejection or the loss of his best friend brought his hands to a violent tremble.

_No no no, calm yourself, Newton...everything’s going to be fine one way or another. If he doesn’t feel the same way, that’s...fine. And understandable, really. And if your past together didn’t ruin your chances of friendship with him, then a rejected confession surely can’t ruin it, can it?!_

Newton sighed heavily as he rested his head on the windowsill, struggling to get his bearings. He locked his gaze on the building that stood a ways away, and made an effort to reaffirm his resolve.

“It’s tonight or never, and you know it,” he muttered to himself. “Everything’s gone well so far...you can afford to take a chance with one more thing today.”

Before he knew it, the hands on the clock hanging on the wall above his desk reached 4:30. Pulling himself together, he opened the window and leapt through it, barely missing the sound of an alarm clock ringing from another room as he yelped in panic and fell flat on his back into the backyard.

“Oooff...maybe I should just stick with the backdoor from now on.”

He heard soft footsteps approach him through the grass and stood up on his feet, and turned himself around to see his secret love waiting for him. The knitted hero looked him over with concern in his button eyes, dressed in a pink scarf, a grey longcoat and some black pants.

_He looks so beautiful...even more-so somehow...but those romantic thoughts need to wait for just a bit longer._

_“_ Aha—g-good morning, dear chum!” Newton greeted him with a shaky laugh. “Well, it’s just barely morning, but...you know what I mean!”

Sackboy gave a small playful smile in return, obviously finding some humor in Newton’s awkwardness. The inventor mustered up his best straight face before he continued on.

“Ahem, now...I suppose you’re wondering what it is I’ve wanted to show you, yes? Well then, come follow me and I’ll lead you straight to a special place!” He offered his hand out to Sackboy in an attempt to seem suave and most certainly not looking for an excuse to hold hands again. “Shall we?”

Sackboy grabbed his hand and the pair began to run out of the backyard and off into the meadows of Needlepoint Peaks. It didn’t take too long for the two of them to make their way to the intended destination. Newton was very careful about choosing the perfect location for his project, making sure that it was easy enough for himself to get to but obscure enough for others to overlook. The process of getting through that step took him the first two days alone. But it still took some time to walk to, so Newton decided to start up conversation again.

“So...how are you enjoying your return to Bunkum?” he asked, looking over at his smaller friend with a warm smile.

Sackboy smiled back and gave two thumbs up. _I should have expected that sort of reply by now..._

Instead of voicing that snarky comment, Newton decided instead to nod in acceptance. “Good! I’m glad to hear that. I was…thinking that maybe once all of this is said and done, if you wanted, I could show you around Bunkum! I figure it’s only fair, after you’ve guided me through Craftworld all this time...”

It might have just been the moonlight, but it looked like Sackboy’s eyes were shining a bit more than usual. Whatever reason might have been behind it, there was an undeniable light in his expression that emerged at the sound of Newton’s offer, a light he wanted to see more of whenever possible. He began to think about all sorts of occasions he might be able to see it in the future. _Maybe if we go picnicking here together, or go to a drive-in movie in Manglewood, or go explore somewhere in the Ziggurat…perhaps, if I can summon the courage, we could even go on a boat ride in the Lagoon…!_

Newton firmly shook his head. _Stop that, you idiot! You won’t get anywhere by merely fantasizing about these things! We have to reach our true goal and make these dreams a reality!_

With that he picked up the pace in his movements and practically dragged Sackboy behind in the process, whom unbeknownst to him was wearing an expression of total confusion. Eventually the two of them made it over to their destination—the hidden building that Newton had spent each free minute of the prior week putting together.

“Now, I’m sure you remember earlier today in which I told you why I couldn’t message you throughout the last week?”

Sackboy nodded, curiosity clear in his eyes.

“Well…the explanation I gave you…” Newton did his best not to fumble with his words, trying and failing at keeping the shakiness out of his voice. “…th-that was only…partially true…I-I wasn’t lying to you! I _was_ helping out with preparations as well, but…” He shut his eyes tightly and released a heavy exhale before continuing. “…I was also working on something for you. And, well…this is it!”

He gestured towards the building that was several feet behind him. He did have to admit that it ended up having a somewhat foreboding look to it with its tall cylindrical shape and checked concrete walls, but that was the only material he could think of that would go mostly unnoticed by everyone else without looking _too_ boring to the eye. It also wasn’t really all that tall at all, only standing at about four stories high. He wanted it to look as if it were towering endlessly to give it a grand and extravagant appearance, but there was only so much he could do with his own bare hands and run-of-the-mill tools.

“Inside of this structure,” he explained, “is an array of recreational activities I’ve prepared just for you. Well, it might not be quite big enough to be called an array, but…” He looked down at his feet, his posture going stiff. “…I think you’ll still find some enjoyment in them anyway.”

Sackboy tilted his head to the side as he looked the tower over, wide-eyed with disbelief. Newton wasn’t sure if his creation was really incredible enough to warrant that kind of expression, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain. For Sackboy to look so awe-inspired by something _he_ had made was already a great accomplishment, he found. _Not to mention how downright adorable he looks…_

“That’s right!” he went on, his voice slowly gaining some bravado. “I’ve built all of this for you as a symbol of our…connection, if you would. Nobody knows about this except you and me, as I’ve intended! But I’d rather not spend too much time building this up—why don’t you go and have a closer look?”

Sackboy nodded and walked up closer, only to jump back from being startled by the sudden appearance of a purple neon sign on the wall, reading in big glowing letters **_“FOR SACKBOY’S EYES ONLY!!”_**

“Ahaha…yes…” Newton grinned sheepishly as he looked off to the side, a slight pink glow showing up in his bulb. “That’s about the only security measure this place has. I know it’s not the best, but I didn’t want anything to come out and attack you on the off-chance that something went wrong with the motion sensors…” He narrowed his eyes. “And really, they’d have to be _very_ rude to to ignore that sign and trespass in here anyway, don’t you think?”

He took a moment to regain his composure before continuing. “Anyhow, there should be a Velociporter waiting for you around here somewhere. Why don’t you see if you can find it, and I will leave you to enjoy yourself!”

At that moment the silent one looked over at him with an apprehensive expression knitted in his features, and Newton could only guess that he was worried about being abandoned or left alone. The mere thought of him leaving behind his little chum made his heart ache, both out of regret for doing exactly that during the Titans incident and out of longing to protect him from such feelings ever happening to him again.

“Oh, if you’re afraid of being alone, then there’s really no need to worry!” he said, trying to reassure the smaller one. “You can find me at the top! I’ll be waiting up there for when you feel like you’ve seen and done everything inside. I’d accompany you, but…as I’ve said, what’s in there is just for you and you alone. I’d hate to end up spoiling anything for you!”

Before Sackboy could even think up an attempt to argue, Newton rushed over to a nearby elevator attached to the structure and hopped inside, quickly pressing the button leading to the top and waving to his befuddled friend from behind the closing doors.

“I’ll see you up there! Please enjoy to your heart’s content!”  
  
————

Sackboy fiddled nervously with his scarf as he stared down the Velociporter, unsure of what exactly Newton had planned for him inside. Even though he knew that things were different now and was set on trusting him, he still could not help but be reminded of past events as the scenario continued unfolding in front of him.

_“You must get up there and stop her! What, me? Oh, well...I’ve got eggs to boil. But rest assured, I’ll be right behind you! Well, not RIGHT behind you—give you a bit of space obviously—but SAFELY behind you!”_

He felt a pit grow in his stomach as the memory replayed itself in his mind. This wasn’t another trick he had up his sleeve, was it? He wasn’t luring him into a trap again, was he?

_No, no, stop it—Newton is your friend now! Your real friend this time! He’s not gonna hurt you like that again..._

Repeating that thought to himself in his head, Sackboy stepped through the Velociporter and found himself standing at the top of some sort of waterslide. It appeared to be a strange combination of Eve’s water ramps and Clive’s hamster tubes, and as he looked it over he wondered if they might have helped Newton out with making this. But before he could go too deep into observing the setup, he heard a presumably pre-recorded voice over a speaker above.

_“Well, hello there, dear friend!”_ Newton’s voice called out cheerily. _“Welcome to your very own specially designed tower of love! I do hope you’ll have an amazingly fun time with it! Just slide down this watery-thingy here to begin!”_

Sackboy had to admit that his curiosity had been further piqued—and he always liked the feel of the water ramps beneath his feet. Pushing his anxieties aside, he stepped into the pipe, and as soon as he sat himself inside he was sent sliding down, the water soaking his coat. He was unable to hold back the giggles that bubbled up within him, and as such he suddenly felt better about being alone for the time being. Eventually after going through various spins and loops and drops, he fell into a pool full of water with a pink tint to it, and once he noticed that he began to take note of the aesthetic of the rest of the room. He recognized the pink floaty material that made up the walls and the floor (at least, as far as he could see from where he was), and it seemed like the room in general was being taken up by a weak pink fog-like substance. _I never pictured him liking that color in particular…_

There were some spherical LED lights scattered about the walls, along with a few lit-up hearts made up of curved light-boxes—which ended up looking more like clouds than hearts due to all of them being completely made up of curves with no angles whatsoever. It was made apparent to Sackboy that Newton was more in touch with his scientific side than his artistic side, but that hardly mattered to him. It still warmed his heart to know that he put this much time and effort to make something like this just for him.

  
As he swam towards the center of the pool, another speaker placed above the area was activated.

_“You remember that day we had at that…pool-bath-place, don’t you?”_ Newton’s voice asked. _“I certainly do. We had so much fun together…I can still picture how you looked just after drying your yarn. I know you got all embarrassed at the time when I said it, but I’m still not taking it back—you looked outright adorable, all fluffed up like that!”_

The inventor’s voice chuckled after saying it, and for a moment Sackboy felt like swimming to the bottom of the pool and hiding down there for the rest of his life. And yet, there was something in his voice that rendered him unable to be mad at him. It conveyed a certain fondness within it, one that once again made him feel fluttery inside his torso.

_“That aside, however,”_ Newton’s voice continued, _“I should admit, that day I…did feel quite worried for you, dear chum. I heard from your friends how stressed you’d felt from the situation you were all dealing with and…once I’d learned of it I wanted to do everything I could to help make things better. Thinking on it now, that must have been the first sign of how I truly felt…”_

Sackboy glanced toward the ceiling with a puzzled look, as if Newton was right up there and he could ask him directly for elaboration. He had no clue what he could have meant when he spoke of how he truly felt—he couldn’t have meant feelings of friendship, right? Because they were friends before that day arrived…right?

_“Ahah, but that can wait until later!”_ Newton’s voice quickly added, a cocky yet somewhat forceful tone within it. _“For now, please enjoy this pool I set up for you! I apologize that this water isn’t of the same quality as the water from back then. I suppose that stuff is limited to the medical professionals…but in any case, I still hope you have fun! Please feel free to be here as long as you’d like, and take as much time as you need to dry off and rest afterwards—I promise I won’t make fun of you for it this time!”_

Sackboy rolled his eyes as the room became quiet, but his look of faint annoyance quickly faded away into a smile as he leaned backward to float on the surface of the water, noting that the speaker started playing “I Only Have Eyes For You” in place of his friend’s voice. It made him feel even warmer inside when he heard Newton’s reminiscing over the day they spent in the Healing Bath, and when he spoke about how worried he was about his stress levels that same day, it felt like something had unzipped him, reached right into his chest and gave his heart a squeeze. Even so, however, he couldn’t stop wondering about what Newton meant before he abruptly changed the subject.

_What DID he mean by “how I truly felt”…?_

A side of Sackboy that was more well-known to everyone, the side that needed to get to the bottom of every mystery encountered, stirred within himself. Though Newton had encouraged him to take his time and enjoy himself, he knew he wouldn’t be able to properly relax with the question eating away at his brain. So he swam through the water towards the other side of the room, which upon closer inspection did indeed look like it was made of the same pink floaty material. He climbed out of the pool and up onto the soft flooring, then made his way to a cushy-looking bench and sat himself down on it to rest his limbs for a short while. From over here, he saw that this side of the area was decorated with crystals on the walls alongside the spherical LEDs and overly-curved hearts. It might have been a bit haphazard, but it was still quite pretty to look at.

_Everyone keeps saying I have a weakness for pretty things…_

As the silent hero sat and looked around, he suddenly became aware of how wet and heavy his clothes felt on him. _There’s no way I’m going to be able to explore comfortably like this,_ he thought to himself, and with that thought in mind he pulled his drenched outfit off himself, placing it in a separate area of his Popit to dry without soaking other outfits in the process. Now that his body was free of that cold heavy feeling, he felt like he could continue navigating through the lightbulb-head’s creation. Right next to where he’d been sitting was a staircase made of diamond lattice material, which he had climbed up to find….

_Oh, come on, Newton!! You’re making it really hard for me to investigate properly!!_

The second floor was practically covered with desserts—cupcakes, french fancies, cookies, cream swirls and the like. The assault of all the various sweet smells hit Sackboy’s senses full-force to the point where it was almost overwhelming. It came to his attention that there seemed to even be a layer of frosting covering the floor he walked on.

He swiped some of the cream off of one of the cream swirls and tasted it, allowing himself to indulge in the soft texture for a bit. _He must’ve gotten these from Victoria..._

_“This room may be filled to the brim with sweet things,”_ he heard Newton’s voice say over the speaker, _“but none of them are even close to being as sweet as...GAH! I have to stop myself there. That would have been too cliché—even for me!”_

Sackboy tilted his head, feeling confused again by his friend’s mixed-up words. He decided to lean back against the wall and work on a cookie as he listened.

_“But...cliché or not, it is true, you know,”_ the voiceover went on much to his dismay, acting as if it were obvious what the end of his self-interrupted sentence was going to be. _“I swear, the patience and kindness you have just never runs out, does it? Even when you’ve been facing your own woes, you’ve kept sticking with me all this time...I just wish you’d show that sort of care towards yourself for once.”_

There was an odd feeling in Sackboy’s chest as he listened. He felt warm yet cold inside at the same time, or perhaps it was more like his heart was submerged in a sea. In all honesty, he really didn’t know how he could put this emotion into words.

_“That day at Miss von Bathysphere’s…I noticed you kept keeping to yourself. You were feeling down for all that time, and you were trying your hardest to keep it hidden under your usual smile. When I think about the fact that you ended up upset for at least four times because of me…”_ Newton’s voice faltered in the middle of his recorded monologue for a second, and the melancholy nature of his words only plunged Sackboy’s heart deeper into his unknown feelings. _“But anyhow, I want you to know that you can open up to me about these things. I don’t care how trivial the issue may seem, and just because you have no voice doesn’t mean I won’t listen to you. And…for the times I’ve made you cry, however this ends up I hope I can make you laugh more than enough to make up for it—even if I can’t hear it.”_

Sackboy didn’t know what to make of what he’d just heard. Newton still seemed unaware of his secret, so that was a small relief at the very least. But the last recording he had listened to seemed more lighthearted—though it _did_ dip into slightly somber territory for a moment, for the most part it was really just playful and informative. In this one however, Newton sounded so serious and sincere as he asked him to open up more. It made Sackboy feel like his insides were trembling, as if he were a structure struggling to hold itself up for the longest time and was finally just about to come crumbling down.

_But also…what did he mean by “however this ends up”?_ he thought.

_“Agh, listen to me now!”_ The inventor’s voice groaned in minor embarrassment. _“I’m getting all sentimental…I do apologize, dear chum. I suppose that, given my lack of experience with these feelings, they all just seem to come flooding and spilling out of me! But I won’t hold you up from these tasty pastries any longer. Please enjoy them and, whenever you’re ready, head off to the next area.”_

Once again the recording over the speaker ended, this time with “Mr. Sandman” coming on to take its place. Sackboy finished off the cookie he’d been working on and, despite Newton’s encouragement earlier, only managed to stomach another one before he wanted to hurry over to the next section of the tower. It wasn’t that they were any less delectable by any means, it was only because all this talk he had kept hearing about his friend’s feelings and his cryptic words were beginning to make him feel sick to his stomach with curiosity and anxieties.

  
And so he proceeded to the other room, feeling a bit guilty for leaving so much leftover food behind but knowing that if his suspicions about them being Victoria’s creations were correct, they would have that special quality about them that stopped them from deteriorating over time. He walked over, a bit surprised when he found just one bounce pad waiting for him.

_Is that really enough to get me up to the next floor…?_

As it turns out, it was. Newton had apparently calibrated it to send him flying up to the area above which appeared to be made up of red panels encased in red glass, with the walls decorated with hearts made of the same material as the glass cages he had seen in Clive’s factory. On top of that, there seemed to be a large collection of LED heart displays neatly arranged on the walls—at least, neatly arranged in comparison to how the previous areas had been decorated. Looking at this made Sackboy wonder just how much information Newton had gathered and remembered from the time they had spent together to figure out his tastes in things, and he couldn’t help the warmth that surged through him as he thought about how much attention to detail the inventor had been paying.

…or rather, that’s what he _would_ _have_ felt if he could have stopped himself from rising and falling repeatedly on the monstrous amount of bounce pads attached to the floor. He didn’t really have a strong fear of heights—in fact he found it fun to be able to pretend he could fly for a short while—but all of this intense motion was outrageous! It was making it incredibly difficult for him to think as clearly as he wanted to, being tossed about within the room.

Soon enough music started blaring from the speaker, which Sackboy recognized as the song “I Have Changed”. This time around though, Newton’s voice could be heard speaking above the song.

_“As you can see,”_ the recording piped up, _“I’ve laid out several bounce pads, each one set to send you at a different height! One of these pads will fly you high enough to reach the entrance of the final room I’ve handcrafted for you, in which I’ll unveil the true reason behind my making all of this! Be ready for excitement, shock and amazement!”_

The voiceover ended there, leaving the music to play by itself as Sackboy glanced around in befuddlement. There was a rather obvious gap in the ceiling, making it easy for him to narrow down the general area and leaving the choice between six of the pads, three on each of the two rows.

_Okay…this shouldn’t be too hard. Just gotta make my way over there…_

And so in spite of his increasing dizziness and the bombardment of overwhelming motions, the silent hero managed to head towards the small specific set of tiles he had his eyes on. Now that he was here, it was only a matter of—

—he couldn’t even finish that thought before he was sent soaring through the gap in the ceiling and into the fourth room, in which he was surprised to find that his feet still hadn’t touched the ground. He remembered this feeling quite well, both from his navigating through Huge Spaceship and from floating about in the midst of a space movie set back in Manglewood. At this moment he found the feeling to be very soothing, being able to lounge about in the air without even having to worry about gravity.

_But if this is the final room,_ he thought to himself as he rocked back and forth in his position, _then Newton should be showing up any minute now…he said something about a “true reason” behind this, right?_

Right on cue, the lights within the room dimmed down, and a large screen emerged from the wall. Not a second later, Newton’s face appeared on the display, leaning in rather closely to the camera.

_“Is this thing on? It seems to be up and running…I sure hope it is. I’d hate to work up the nerve to tell him all this only for nothing to be recorded…”_ The lightbulb-head’s hands reached out and covered the lens, blocking any and all view of what was happening as he fiddled with it, and then after just under a minute he backed away, looking right at the camera and giving his usual friendly smile.

_“Hello again, Sackboy! I do hope you’ve been having fun with my creation thus far…as I’m speaking to you now you’re supposed to be floating about thanks to the anti-gravity features Marlon showed me. I don’t know if they’ll end up working as I wanted them to, but…the future can wait for the future, can’t it?”_

It was made clear by his manner of speaking that this video was also pre-recorded. Not that Sackboy minded—after all, live recording could be quite the hassle at times. But what really caught him off-guard was Newton greeting him by name, as most of the time he would just stick with endearing nicknames to address him with.

_“Anyway, enough about that…I wanted to talk to you about….well, erhm…”_ Newton glanced nervously around the room he was filming in, fidgeting with his hands. _“I—I-I guess you could s-say that…I-I wanted to…talk about something else that could be, if you catch my drift…”_

Sackboy sat up straighter, or at least as much as he could whilst floating in the air. Despite the comment just a moment ago, Newton always looked focused on what could be. The future always seemed to be the most important thing to him. So what about the future could he have been concerned with this time?

_“Y-You see, Sackboy, the truth is…”_ Newton shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, releasing a shaky exhale. _“…th-th-the truth…is…um, I…I seem to have grown rather…well, you know! I’ve…become attached to you.”_

Attached was a somewhat vague word. It could have meant a good number of things. Normal platonic attachment, or the type he had been feeling for the last couple weeks—

_“Th-The thing is—! I’ve…never been this close with anyone before. To the point where….I felt like I could open up about anything, feel safe outside of my own home and—and such. You are, without question, the best friend I’ve ever had. Probably the best friend anyone could ever hope to have.”_ Newton ducked his head downward, his electric eyes shifting from side to side. _“I think I started feeling that…something else…when I found you that one night. You’d just told me about what was happening with the sackbots, you were worried sick and you looked so vulnerable just sitting there…it was so small back then that I couldn’t really notice it for what it was…at the time I thought I’d just become protective of you…”_

At that moment the camera suddenly slid off of whatever it had been placed on, startling Sackboy with the sudden crashing sound. He heard Newton stumbling in the background to grab the camera, only able to rely on the sounds of the video to tell him what was going on with the screen blocked again.

_“Gaaah—!! For the love of cog!! Just as I was really building up my courage...”_ The camera was set upright again a moment later, the lightbulb-head looking right into it with an exasperated expression. _“Whyyy doesn’t this house have any tripods? Not a single one...”_ He closed his eyes and took another long deep breath before opening them again and giving an apologetic smile.

_“Sorry about the technical difficulties, my dear friend. Cameras and I just do not get along, I’m afraid...anyhow, where was I...?”_ He turned his head slightly away from the camera again, his nervous look returning. _“...w-well...it just sort of slowly progressed, this feeling of mine...I wanted to protect you and help you and stay by your side...I thought that might have been just from the rapport we’d formed over time, but...”_ He grabbed at his coat sleeves, the nervousness on his glassy features changing into frustration. _“...oh confound it, why can’t I just come right out and say it?! That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to say it. Right now. Here I go, telling you how I truly feel and why I’ve made all of this. Right...now.”_

Sackboy hated to admit it, but it was fairly amusing seeing Newton struggling with his words like this. It definitely sounded mean, and he knew it was a troublesome feeling, but it didn’t stop the giggles rising up in his system that he did his best to hold back.

_“All right...here I go, saying it now,”_ Newton sighed, a pink tint coming to his cheeks. _“Sackboy, I...I’m in...I-I l—I’m in lo—I—“_

The camera fell down again, interrupting his stammered sentence.

_“WHAT?! Not again!! The universe is PLAYING with me!!”_ The camera was quickly scooped up from the floor, and Newton held it in his hands, staring right into the lens in irritation. _“Sackboy, I LOVE you!”_

Any and all playful feelings Sackboy had been dealing with immediately fled his mind. He felt like he was in an odd state of emotional limbo, right on the brink of being hit by the meaning of what he’d heard but still feeling nothingness as he waited for it to happen.

_“It’s not easy to say…and it’s probably hard for you believe, but…but I…”_ Newton hung his head down, but not before Sackboy could get a glimpse of the spreading pink glow across his bulb. _“…somewhere down the line, I…seem to have fallen in love with you. I know that’s a weird thing to happen when we’ve only REALLY known each other for a couple of weeks, but it happened! The days I’ve spent with you were the most fun I’ve had in ages, and I don’t want them to ever end.”_

It was right in the middle of the last sentence when the reality of what he had been saying actually hit Sackboy’s mind. He gaped at the screen with wide button eyes, trying to adjust himself after realizing what he’d just been told.

_“A-Actually, if you can believe it,”_ Newton stuttered onward, hesitantly glancing back up at the camera as the blush on him grew brighter, _“seeing you again was my main motivation for getting through the trip around Bunkum. It was because of you that I decided to push forward and not give up when I had to face the queen…I went through all that, carrying with me the hope of getting to see you again once it was all said and done. And it wasn’t until after I’d gotten back and seen you again that I realized why that motivation was so powerful…”_

The room felt as if it had been growing warmer as Sackboy listened, but based off his own personal experience from the last week he easily came to the conclusion that the room had nothing to do with it. Hearing that _he_ had been the reason why Newton was able to get through his trials sent another surge of the warm and floaty feelings through him. It was just difficult for him to believe that he could really have been that important to him, especially with everything else he’d had going on.

_“…so…that’s what I’ve got to say! That’s the reason why I built this tower. It’s because I love you.”_ At this point in time, the pink glow in Newton’s face seemed to be taking up his entire head. _“More than I can ever express, more than you can ever know. I wanted to make something special to prove my love, to show you how much you really mean to me. A-And if you don’t feel the same way, that’s…fine. Really.”_ His voice grew wobblier as he said this, showing that it might not really have been all that fine. _“I wanted you to know all the same…either way, this place is yours to do with as you please. You can go back to any of the other rooms or leave through whatever door I’ve put there, and…once you’ve gone through that door, I’ll be waiting there for you. Whichever answer you have to give, it’s all right. In any case, I just wanted you to know.”_

The pink taking up his glassy face finally started to fade in a bit, though a good portion of it still remained. _“Well! That’s all I have. I hope that you’ve enjoyed my creation, and also that what I’ve said hasn’t made our friendship unbearably awkward. Thank you for coming here—thank you for everything you’ve done, really…now I just need to turn this off and—“_

The video ended abruptly at that point, and as the screen went dark and disappeared back into the wall, the overhead lights of the weightless area went back to their normal levels brightness. Sackboy hadn’t even noticed he had been crying until he saw the droplets of water floating in the room around him. He was nowhere near saddened, of course, far from it on the contrary. As a matter of fact, at this moment he had forgotten those feelings of doubt and worry that had plagued his mind not too long ago. He did not wish to dwell on it any further, though. If Newton really was waiting outside somewhere for him, he wanted to be able to get out and meet with him as soon as possible.

  
And as if on cue, a door opened up from the ceiling right as he had finished that thought. Without hesitation he flew himself up towards the opening and climbed through it, then stood himself on his feet and looked ahead of himself to find the inventor’s glowing yellow eyes meet his.

“So…what did you think?” he asked slowly, his hands fidgeting in his coat pockets. “I-I wanted it to be bigger than this, you know…I wanted it to have a seemingly endless amount of fun things to do. But there was only so much I could do without a Popit…”

Barely paying attention to what Newton was saying, Sackboy began to slowly walk up to him.

“A-As I’ve said, if you don’t feel the same, it’s perfectly fine!” Newton repeated himself, looking more anxious than he’d ever seen him. “I-I just…just…”

Before he could end his sentence, Sackboy hugged him tightly around the shoulders, burying his face in his coat. It only took a second for the embrace to be returned, warm arms clad in fluffy fabric tightening around the torso. The two of them stayed like that for a while, basking in each others’ warmth, when Newton pulled away slightly.

“…so does that mean you want—?” He didn’t even need to finish asking the question before Sackboy answered with a nod, an overjoyed smile spreading widely across his face as tears continued to drip from his eyes. He smiled lovingly in return as he reached to wipe the tears away from his cheeks. “Good…I’m so glad…I promise I’ll make you happier than ever, and—“  
  
The knitted one cut off his speech once again, this time from a sneeze he quickly covered with his arm.

“Oh dear…that’s right, you’re not wearing your coat anymore now, are you?” Newton slipped out of his coat as he gave a sheepish look. “It was my mistake—I should have warned you that there’d be water. I just didn’t want to ruin the surprise!” Once the coat was off, he draped it over Sackboy’s shoulders. “There we go! Does that feel better for you?”  
  
Sackboy simply nodded before going back to holding onto Newton, who seemed to take the hint as he held him tightly in turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (in the voice of Ramsey from Helheim Hassle) AAAAAAAAAAAWWWWW YAY-YEAAAAHHHH!!!!
> 
> All seriousness aside, wow what a boring and non-noteworthy chapter wooowwww


	32. Our lonesome nights are over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only one day into their new relationship, Sackboy already wants to tell the Alliance about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we begin I'd like to show you something cute
> 
> This short film really reminds me of these two for some reason, it's super adorable and it's gotten me close to crying whenever I watch it
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1uE-OwG8DI
> 
> Now that you're done watching that, please enjoy!

The two of them stood like that for a while. For whatever reason, they just needed to.

Sackboy’s hugs felt plenty soft before, but tonight it felt even softer. It felt like being hugged by a cloud, being taken away from any sense of reality and rendered unable to feel even the floor beneath their feet. Newton wasn’t sure if it was just from being with Sackboy alone, or if it might have been due to the dreamy state his mind had been put in. But before either of them could become too distracted, he pulled out just a bit.

“Not to ruin the moment,” he said, “but how do you think we should go about doing this?”

Sackboy tilted his head to the side as if asking him to elaborate, and so he did. “What I mean is...my parents would find it strange for us to be in a relationship like this so soon after we’d supposedly just met each other again. And...I’m still not ready to tell them that I’d been visiting you in secret.” He looked off to the side, feeling a bit shy. “The only one in this world who knows about our situation is Marlon...and I know your friends know I’ve been over there, but...”

He hadn’t noticed at first that Sackboy already took a pen and some paper out and was writing up a response while he was speaking. As his voice trailed off, he felt a paper being gently pushed into his grasp and turned his attention to it.

_They actually knew about my crush on you...Victoria wouldnt stop teasing me about it!!!!_

_Im surprised you talked to Marlon about us though, I kinda thought manglewood was a ...noisier part of Bunkum? But obviously you know more about that than me_

_But anyway if you wanna do this in secret then that’s fine!! I totally understand_

Newton felt his face grow hot as he read through the first couple of lines, but managed to ignore that heat in order to answer the silent hero’s inquiries. “I—I had to talk to _someone_ about this! As I said, I’ve never felt like this before and I needed some guidance...a-and Marlon seemed like the most easygoing option...” He then looked back over at Sackboy with faint confusion. “…wait a moment, you told them?”  
  
Sackboy quickly shook his head, his face reddening as he grabbed the paper back to write again.

_Noooo I didn’t tell them anything!! They just figured out somehow when I asked them not to give you away!!_

_It was so embarrassing….._

Newton followed along with the writing well enough, but he was mostly distracted by the heavy blush on Sackboy’s face, and he couldn’t help but grin at the sight. “I see…in all fairness, you’re even more adorable when you get flustered like this.”

Sackboy stared at him with a look of absolute betrayal, his expression practically screaming “Not you too!!” at him and getting a chuckle out of him despite himself.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m only teasing you. You’re adorable no matter what.” He managed to push his playful mood aside in order to move their conversation back to its intended purpose. “But anyhow…it should be all right if we’re open about this in front of people that already know what’s going on. We wouldn’t have to hide things in Craftworld and _maybe_ Manglewood…”

_its no pressure if you don’t wanna do this now_ , Sackboy wrote.

“Of _course_ I want to do this now!” Newton insisted. “I wouldn’t have told you about anything in the first place if I didn’t want this! The only issue is I’ve never done this before, a-and we both already have so much going on in our worlds…” He grabbed Sackboy by the shoulders and leaned in a little closer so he could look deeper into his eyes. Looking at them like this made him feel achy inside as he thought about how much he wanted the two of them to be together, no matter what the consequences might have been—even if those consequences entailed his parents discovering his whereabouts. “I only want to make sure we can both be comfortable and not have to worry about what could go wrong. But I want this to work more than anything else.”

Sackboy nodded, seeming to understand what he meant, and went right back to hugging the lightbulb-head. Newton was all too happy to reciprocate, at least until he finally noticed the first few hints of daylight coming into the Peaks.

“We’d best head back to the Manor now,” he said. “Let’s get down from here and go, shall we?”

With that the couple took the elevator down and hurried back to Stitchem Manor hand-in-hand. Taking the same path they’d followed to get to the tower before, they made it back home soon enough and managed to sneak inside without waking anyone or attracting attention. Soon they found themselves in Newton’s bedroom, both feeling rather tired from the events of the night.

“So…” Newton spoke up as they flopped down upon his bed, exhaustion heavy in his voice, “…is it all right to call us partners now? Or is there another label you’d prefer…?”

The knitted one gave a sleepy smile and thumbs-up, indicating that it sounded fine to him. Despite how tired he felt Newton couldn’t help but smile lovingly in return. “I’m glad you agree.” He scooted himself a bit closer to him, taking in the warmth that seemed to radiate from him as he adjusted his position. “Thank you again for meeting with me out there…I know it was rather out of the blue, but I really needed you to know how much you mean to me.”

In response, Sackboy reached out and grabbed Newton’s hand, giving it a tender squeeze as he closed his eyes. Newton returned the squeeze before shutting his own eyes, the glow of his face dimming down as he felt sleep begin to overcome him.

_A lot of good things have happened today, but…I daresay that this might have been the best…_

————

It was approaching 11 AM when Nana Pud made her way upstairs. Had circumstances been like usual, she would have come up to wake Newton from his slumber about two hours ago, but given how eventful the previous day had been she figured that her son and their guest would appreciate having some more time to catch up on sleep, or at the very least extra time to get ready for the day.

But everyone had to wake up sometime, did they not? Especially if they wanted to enjoy breakfast while it was still hot. And so here she was at Newton’s door in the late morning, knocking gently against its wooden surface.

“Newty?” she called softly. “It’s time to get up now.”

There was no answer, which she had expected. It was often unlikely that Newton would get out of bed on the first call, even if he had been dealing with nightmares the night prior. So she then proceeded to open the door slowly and carefully so it wouldn’t creak too noisily, only to find a sight that surprised her—but it wasn’t a bad surprise by any means.

She hurried back down the stairs and went over to Captain Pud, who was still setting things up in the dining room. “Captain! You’ve got to come up and take a look at this!”

Captain Pud turned to face her with an amused look on his face, putting the handful of utensils he was holding down onto the table. “What’s happened, love?”

“I can’t tell you! You have to come see for yourself!” Nana Pud grabbed him by the arm and dragged him up the staircase, releasing him once they made it up to their son’s room. “Now I need you to be sure to stay quiet as we go in—I don’t want either of us to end up spoiling it!”

Captain Pud seemed more confused at this point, but as his wife opened the door he immediately understood what her excitement was about. Inside the bedroom were Newton and Sackboy asleep together on the bed, huddled up close with their hands lying atop each other and the fluffy coat that Newton normally donned now blanketed over Sackboy. The two of them looked rather peaceful, more peaceful than either of the couple had seen their son before.

“Well, would you look at that,” Captain Pud whispered, a fond smile lighting up his glassy features. “They really have become fast friends, haven’t they?”

“I wonder what they could’ve been up to,” Nana Pud mused. “I told that silly boy to take him to the guest room…”

“They must’ve just been up all night talking,” Captain Pud guessed. “They did have a lot to catch up on after all, having not seen each other for the past few months…”

“I suppose,” Nana Pud agreed. “But whatever the case may be, there’s no excuse for either of them to be skipping meals!”

Captain Pud nodded, then walked into the room and approached the dozing pair, keeping his footsteps quiet until he stopped. Once he stopped where he was, he cleared his throat and leaned in close to his son’s head before speaking up.

“Breakfast is ready, boys.”

Newton instantly startled awake, eyes opening right in sync with the involuntary yelp he let out. Sackboy followed suit not a moment later, his eyes fluttering open as he glanced around in confusion before realizing it wasn’t just the two of them in the room anymore. He sat himself up right away and gave a cheerful wave, smiling awkwardly as Newton nervously repositioned himself.

“Ah—Mumsy! P-Papa!” he stammered out. “I-I can explain...you see...”

Captain Pud shook his head, exchanging a knowing look with his wife who was giggling at the scene by the door. “The only thing in need of explaining is why you two aren’t downstairs eating. Now get on with you.”

Newton nodded after a second’s hesitation and stumbled out of bed, quickly heading towards the door with Sackboy in tow. As the duo went downstairs, Captain Pud returned to Nana Pud’s side at the door, both of them now watching in good spirits.

“We were like that once, hmm?”

————

It was around 1 PM when Sackboy returned to Craftworld, holding onto Newton’s hand tightly as he quickly guided him to Da Vinci’s hideout. Though he wasn’t entirely certain, Newton felt as if this was the most excited he had ever seen him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he might have had something planned.

“You seem particularly cheery right now, chum,” he spoke up. “What exactly are you thinking about?”

Sackboy stopped in his tracks to twirl around and face him, taking both hands in his own and leaning in closer with a smile so wide it could have torn up his fabric. While his smiling face was always a gorgeous sight for Newton’s sore eyes, it did nothing to answer any of his questions.

“I’m…afraid I’m still a tad confused,” he admitted.

An impatience started to grow in Sackboy’s eyes—not the sort of impatience he’d seen in people who still didn’t trust him, more like an impatience one would see in a friend not wanting to miss their favorite show—but despite this he still maintained that _wondrously heart-melting_ smile of his that seemed to heat up Newton’s bulb by a thousand degrees with each second as he began to demonstrate his intentions in his usual manner. He first pointed to himself, then to his companion, and then up ahead to the hideout they were coming ever closer to. Then, undoing the other grasp he had on his hand, he put both his hands together to form the shape of a heart.

“Wait, so…if I’m understanding this right,” Newton said slowly as he tried to follow what the silent hero was trying to convey, “are you telling me that you…want to let them know about…” He looked off to the side as a faintly glowing blush crept across his cheeks. “…about us?”

Sackboy nodded enthusiastically, apparently very happy about the fact that he finally got it. Newton suddenly felt extremely shy, his stomach churning out of anxiety as the worst case scenarios already piled up in his overthinking brain.

“You want to…so soon?” he asked, mustering up a great effort to keep the shakiness out of his voice. “What if they don’t approve? I-I mean— _surely_ they think you can do much better than—than…”

His voice faltered as he saw Sackboy’s expression change into a full-on pout. But that look didn’t last any longer than a moment, and it soon changed to a look of reassurance as he reached inside of himself and pulled out his notepad and pen, quickly jotting down a message before handing it over.

_that’s not going to happen._

_And even if it does it doesn’t matter what they think about us anyway._

_i love us, Newton. I love_ _you_ _, and not even the alliance is gonna change that._

_okay?_ ♡

Right as Newton finished reading the note, he found himself being pulled into a gentle hug by his partner. As they lingered briefly in each others’ arms he allowed himself to smile again. Sackboy’s hugs always seemed to make him feel better, after all.

_Then again,_ he thought, _who wouldn’t feel better after being hugged by him?_

“All right…if you’re certain that everything will be fine, I’ll trust your judgment.”

And just like that Sackboy instantly went back to his excited mood, running towards the hideout whilst dragging the lightbulb-head along behind him. Once they made it inside in a matter of minutes, they were soon greeted by Larry, Victoria and Clive, who seemed to have been waiting around the foyer for them before they came in.

“Ah, welcome back, Sackthing!” said Larry as the door shut behind them. “How was your night staying over in Bunkum?”

Sackboy gave a nod and thumbs-up, indicating that the evening had gone well.

“Why don’t you two make yourselves comfortable? I’ll go get tea sorted. Clive, would you be able to call the rest of the Alliance over here?”

Clive nodded and hurried off to do as instructed, and Sackboy and Newton were led by Victoria over to the sitting area. Once they were situated there, the knitted one was quick to rest his head on Newton’s shoulder. The inventor could tell that he was trying to make this as obvious as possible. _Which, I mean...it does feel good to know that the one love isn’t ashamed of their love for you, but..._

“So Newton,” Victoria spoke up to grab the couple’s attention, “I trust that you’ve been taking care of our Sackthing while he was away with you?”

There was a playful smile on her face that Newton was unsure as to how to interpret, but she at least seemed to be acting friendlyand so he decided to do the same. “Oh yes, of course! As a matter of fact we—“

Right at that moment Sackboy reached his hand out to cover Newton’s mouth before he could say anything else, causing him to chuckle just from his confusion at the sudden action.

“What? I thought you wanted to tell them that...”

Sackboy shook his head and held up six fingers with both of his hands. Victoria looked them over with a raised eyebrow, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. “Is there some big secret you two have to tell me?”

“Well, _I_ thought there was,” Newton responded, his head beginning to hurt. “Apparently our chum has had second thoughts on that matter...”

Sackboy rested his face in his hands, obviously frustrated by the current situation. He pointed to where Clive went off to, then to where Larry had, and then to the hideout’s entrance. It took Newton and Victoria a moment to realize he wanted to wait until everyone was here to say anything.

“Oh...well, of course!” Victoria agreed, a bit sheepish from noticing her colleague’s shift in mood. “Once Clive calls the others, they’ll surely arrive in no time at all!”

“Aha, right,” Newton responded with an awkward smile. “That’s what you meant all along, it...seems more obvious now looking back on it...”

With an annoyed huff, Sackboy flopped on his back and seemed to be trying to sink into the very cushion he’d been sitting on.

“I’d better go see how Larry’s doing with that tea,” the baketress excused herself as she stood from her seat and walked away, adding a softer “and give you two some space” before disappearing into the same room Larry had.

Once the two were on their own again, Newton looked down to where his partner had collapsed and gave a sympathetic smile. “Are you feeling all right?”

Sackboy shut his eyes and nodded, letting out a lighter huff than before. The lightbulb-head started to stroke the top of his head, not certain if he was actually angry but figuring it would be good to try and calm him just in case.

“My poor little chum,” he cooed, looking over adoringly as he watched Sackboy’s expression soften. “I’m sorry to have irked you so. I’m still getting the hang of this nonverbal communication stuff...”

Sackboy finally gave him a smile and reached up to pat Newton’s glassy cheek, as if he were telling him that it was fine and there was nothing to stress over. Newton couldn’t help but lean into his touch, closing his electrified eyes and smiling like a lovesick idiot—which he basically was at that point—when he was almost immediately brought out of his reverie by the sounds of footsteps coming back into the room.

“The tea is ready,” Larry announced, setting a tray that held several cups upon it down on the coffee table. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, Newton, so I made a bit of everything.”

“I let everyone know you got back too,” Clive informed them. “They should be coming by in about…”

He was cut off by the loud creaking of the front door, followed by the sound of an all too familiar voice calling out to everyone inside.

  
“Rejoice everyone, for the man of science has arrived!” Avalon declared as he strutted into the hideout.  
  
“And we’re here too,” Eve added as she walked in with Dr. Higginbotham in tow, clearly not the least bit enthused by her cohort’s confident greeting. “You said the little one was come home, didn’t you, Clive?”

Clive nodded. “That’s right…Sackboy’s back, and he brought a friend along with him.”

Avalon rose an eyebrow in suspicion. “This… _friend_ of his…wouldn’t happen to be a certain lightbulb-head, would it?”

“In fact, that’s exactly who it is,” Clive answered, gesturing towards the lightbulb-head in question.

“Now, before you decide to bring us into another argument, Avalon,” Larry piped up, “I do believe there’s something that Sackthing had to tell us, if I overheard correctly.”

Sackboy nodded and sat himself up, and once everybody’s eyes were focused on them, he gave Newton a brief encouraging look before turning back to his teammates. He first pointed to himself, then to Newton, and finally moved both his hands into a heart formation before grabbing his partner’s hand and holding it up as if to emphasize his point.

Larry’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh my…is that the truth? So you’ve finally told him, eh?”

Sackboy shook his head and pointed to Newton again, then quickly latched onto one of his arms. Newton felt a tad embarrassed about having his confession revealed outright, but he couldn’t complain when he saw how happy about it Sackboy looked. _That sweet look on his face could win over anybody…_

Victoria nearly squealed as soon as the implications were understood. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for the two of you!”  
  
Clive mustered up a small smile, which was something of a big deal in and of itself when considering his normal demeanor. “So am I. I still don’t really know a lot about you, but…if Sackboy likes you that much, you’re probably all right.”

A wave of relief washed over Newton as he heard their responses. Ever since the Titans’ incident he had come to expect the worst case scenario when he found himself in a new situation. But seeing how proud and accepting everyone seemed to be made him feel quite a bit better about things. He felt that maybe he _was_ truly improving himself, and that his efforts in self-betterment were being made more apparent.

“You’re serious, right? I knew you were forgiving, but this is a bit much, don’t you think?”

Well, not everyone was so proud and accepting, it seemed.

“Avalon, please,” Larry interjected. “We’ve talked about this yesterday. We’ve already established that Newton isn’t truly evil. All he needs is to understand the consequences of his actions and to be pushed in the right direction—“

  
“It’s one thing to forgive his mistakes and let him go free,” Avalon interrupted him, “but how can we be sure about his intentions with Ace? He could just be planning to take advantage of him somehow, staying with him for all the things he can do or at least using him to get off easier…”

The inventor felt hurt by his former idol accusing him of these things, but the mere idea of anyone suspecting him of doing anything like that to his beloved hurt him even more. The worst part was that he couldn’t really bring himself to argue. Even without the great anxiety of being surrounded by his higher-ups, he knew well that he would never be entirely free of his past or of the suspicions others had of him. And what’s more, in his eyes it was completely understandable. With all the people he had harmed and all the damage he had caused, he knew that he would never redeem himself to _everyone_ —in fact it was kind of a miracle that there _were_ people he’d redeemed himself to, especially the one among them he had fallen for.

But was there really so much doubt regarding the authenticity of his affections? It felt like that was what was hurting him most of all. All of this love he had harbored for the knitted hero inside of himself, even before he actually knew he was doing so, only to have it brushed off as a heartless ploy to trick him again…

“That’s enough, Avalon,” Larry said, with a sternness in his voice that neither Newton nor Sackboy were sure they had heard from him before.

“Look,” Avalon sighed. “I know it’s not a good thought. But we can’t be too sure of people we’ve never met before who have a reputation for almost destroying the world.”

Newton felt Sackboy’s arms wrap around him tightly, his only comfort right now in this moment of his multitude of negative emotions. He moved his hands atop his partner’s and squeezed them, letting him know that even in the midst of his troubles he was still grateful for his support.

“ _You’ve_ never met him before,” Larry refuted, “but _I_ have. And if you’d paid attention to more than just the news of Bunkum’s crisis during our meeting with his family, you would know that.”

Avalon blinked in surprise and confusion. “Wait…what?”

Newton sat up straighter in his seat, nearly jolting out of Sackboy’s arms. “Wait a moment—you _remember_ me, sir?”

The bearded man nodded. “I do indeed. It would be tough to forget a pupil as dedicated as yourself. I wanted us to come back to those memories on your own terms…I do apologize for keeping you in the dark about that.” He then looked towards Avalon. “It’s true—I was Newton’s professor back in the day. In spite of his best efforts he ended up flunking out, and from what I’ve heard he’s been in a bad place ever since. Couple that up with living in his father’s shadow, and you might see now why he might have gotten himself in so much trouble, yes?”

Avalon stared blankly for a silent moment as those words were left to hang in the air. Then, at long last, he took a deep breath.

“I see. I…I didn’t know that.” Anyone could tell that he must have summoned all of his strength in order to utter that. “I..” He turned to face a bewildered Newton, a strong aura of professionalism radiating from him all of a sudden. “…I offer my humblest apologies. I had no idea you’d went through any of this, and I didn’t mean to speak so coldly. Everyone has the right to start over, after all.” A very seldom-seen look of regret made its away across his features. “I only said all of that because…the kid’s important to us, all right? He’s like family. Nobody would be happy if he got hurt in any way. I just wanna make sure that he’s safe with whoever he’s with. You get it?”

Newton nodded in response, still struggling to take in all of what he had just heard. It just went to show how close the Alliance members were with Sackboy. _They must be to him what Papa and Mumsy are to me…_

“Good,” the orange-haired man replied. “With that, I promise I’ll do better about trusting you. But if I hear _anything_ about you hurting Ace in _any_ way, that trust ends just like that. Got it?”

Newton nodded again, only feeling a bit intimidated in comparison to how anxious he had felt before. That aside, he was feeling much better now after they came to an understanding about things.

“Glad we understand each other,” Avalon said with a smile. “And hey, good on you for getting him to love you back! You better take good care of him, you hear me?”

“Ahaha, but of course!” Newton answered, returning the smile as the intimidation he felt faded. “Only the best for the one I love!”

————

The atmosphere of the group settled down into a more peaceful mood after that, the rest of the gathering basically boiling down to questions on how the confession unfolded, how they would work around Newton’s unknowing parents, how long the both of them had been feeling this way and the like. It was certainly a relief for Sackboy to see his closest friends getting along well with his new partner. However, he still felt some amount of apprehension throughout the meeting. He knew that Avalon’s skepticism regarding Newton only came from a place of protectiveness, but even so they still dwelled somewhere in the back of his mind.

_I trust Newton…I really do…I love him and I trust him. I know that for sure, but…_

“Is everything all right, dear chum?”

Sackboy was brought out of his thoughts by Newton’s voice and turned to look at him with his best innocent expression, trying to feign confusion about his inquiry. Sometimes he really hated the fact that people could read him like an open picture book.

“You’ve looked rather…pensive for the last few minutes,” Newton explained, worry written in his glowing features. “If there’s anything you need to talk about, anything at all, you know you can come to me, don’t you?”

Sackboy nodded and put up a gentle smile, doing the best he could without words to reassure him that things were okay. _I mean…this isn’t something I REALLY need to talk about…I love Newton, I trust Newton, and I know that talking about this is only going to make him feel bad…_

Newton seemed to understand what he was thinking anyway, despite his attempts to keep his thoughts hidden, and he grabbed both of his hands firmly, looking right into his eyes. “You don’t believe any part of what he’s said, do you? You know that I’d never do anything at your expense, right?”  
  
Sackboy nodded vigorously. _I know you’d never do that. I know you’re being genuine. It’s just the idea of it…_

“Good.” Newton leaned in closer and pulled him into an embrace, holding onto him as if the world would split in two if he ever let go. “Because I _love_ you, Sackboy. I love you _madly,_ even if I’m not the greatest at showing it, and even if this whole love thing is all new to me. And there’s no chance that I’m going to let my stupidity hurt you and ruin everything again.”

Sackboy simply melted into the embrace, soaking up all the warmth and love that Newton was providing for him. The intoxicating feeling was so overwhelming that he felt like he was just a breeze away from crying into his partner’s shoulder, now feeling rather vulnerable from today’s events. Soon enough—too soon in his opinion—Newton pulled out of the hug, keeping his hands on his shoulders as he spoke up again.

“What do you say that we put those suspicions behind us then?” he asked him, the tone of his voice softer than he remembered ever hearing it before. “I’ll tell you what—how about the two of us go on a date tomorrow night?”

Sackboy perked up at the suggestion. _A date…?_

“We’ll meet at the bridge,” Newton explained, “and from there we’ll plan things out. We’ll go wherever you’d like, do anything you’d like—provided it doesn’t involve my parents seeing us, of course.”

Sackboy quickly nodded in response before rushing back into his arms, his mood now far higher than it previously had been. The prospect sounded so exciting he just couldn’t help himself. Him and Newton’s first date—he was already impatient for tomorrow night’s arrival.

Laughter rung out from his partner, the vibrations in his chest right up against his head making him feel all the more giddy. “Then it’s settled! When we’re both home tonight, I’ll message you about the time and all those other boring details.” He pulled away just a bit so their eyes could meet once more. “Until then, let’s relax together for the rest of the day, shall we?”  
  
Sackboy couldn’t agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez Avalon who pissed in your tall orange mochaccino this morning????
> 
> Nah, he's just overprotective of Sackboy, please don't kill him

**Author's Note:**

> I am super super nervous about this
> 
> Updates will probably be slow because I don't have the clearest idea on where the story's going to go yet
> 
> Like I've got some more stuff written but the end is nowhere in my sight yet, and I want to make sure nothing seems half-assed or anything
> 
> Maybe I'm just overthinking things but
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoy it at least a little ^__^;;


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